In 1975, the Punjab government issued a notification dividing its 25% Scheduled Caste (SC) reservation into two distinct categories. The first category exclusively reserved seats for the Balmiki and Mazhbi Sikh communities, as they were considered among the most economically and educationally disadvantaged groups in the state. These communities were given priority access to reservations in education and public employment.

The second category comprised the remaining SC communities, who did not receive this preferential treatment. This was one of the earliest instances of sub-classification within an existing reservation system, aiming to extend additional benefits to certain groups beyond the general SC category.

Although this policy remained in effect for nearly 30 years, it encountered legal challenges in 2004 when a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court invalidated a similar law in Andhra Pradesh. In the case ‘E.V. Chinnaiah v. State of Andhra Pradesh,’ the Court struck down the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Act, 2000, ruling that it violated the right to equality. The law had outlined a comprehensive list of SC communities and allocated specific reservation benefits to each group.

On August 1, 2024, a seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, in a 6-1 majority ruling, determined that Scheduled Castes are not a socially homogeneous group and that states have the authority to sub-classify them to ensure reservations benefit the most disadvantaged communities among them.

As per the Bill presented by Minister Damodar Rajanarasimh, the Scheduled Caste quota will now be divided into three groups:

• Group I will receive 1% reservation within the 15% SC quota