EWS Quota Case Hearing Day 6 - Live Updates From Supreme Court

SG: Someone has beautifully said about statistics- "Statistics are used like a drunken man uses a pole, not for illumination, but for support."

J Bhat: My father was a statistician. (laughs)

SG: I am sorry, my lord.

J Bhat: Here it is only percentage, we don't know the actual figures. Even if you have 15, you can say 50%. 

SG: There were arguments that 8 lakhs is such a huge limit. Kindly see this- the household income of EWS category- only 9% of EWS are in the highest.

J Bhat: Sinho committee has similar data.

SG: Sinho committee was established earlier.

J Bhat: Backward committee in Maratha judgement had all this.

SG: I haven't seen it from that angle.

SG refers to a report: This committee has undertaken an exhaustive exercise. See how this has worked for the poorest of poor- they're getting benefits of this.

In 2019, in UPSC exams, 79 selected and maximum is in economic group of 0-2.5lakhs. 2.5lakhs means 20000 per month.

J Bhat: Barriers are there for admissions- who will coach them? How many jobs are there? They cater to a particular segment. The larger magnitude remains undermining. We're not undermining the magnitude of caste, we have to see how it aligns with vision of constitution.

SG: As a nation, we will have to deal with some aspirations.

J Bhat: 35 crore people are poorest of poor- it's a problem for the govt. The process of experimentation is necessary but the question is if it reflects the constitutional value. 

SG: If the constitution frameworks or parliament responds to students of GC, the only way is to respond by a logical classification- that is, economically backward.

CJI: As compared to those EWS in SC/ST, those coming from EWS in GC, are better off.

SG: We may have to change the contours of how we look at it.

SG: In SEBCs,creamy layer is excluded so there we have already applied economic criteria. That's the answer, those who are historically or socially and educationally backward, economic criteria is a factor.