Hopes on Muslim reservations rekindled

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the AP state to commence the counseling process for the students who come under the ambit of the quota. However, a bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan said none of the candidates should be given admission till further orders are passed by it. The matter has been posted for hearing after the summer vacation.
The AP government had said it wanted reservation for several Muslim groups including dhobis, fakeers, qureshis and turka kash because they were occupation-based. It had challenged the stay imposed by the Andhra Pradesh High Court on providing the reservation to backward Muslims. In its petition, the government submitted that the reservation sought to be provided to backward Muslims was constitutionally valid and hence it may be allowed to implement the quota policy formulated under the AP Reservation in Favour of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes of Muslims Act, 2007.