Youth For Equality

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Youth For Equality
AbbreviationYFE
FormationApril 4, 2006
Founded atNew Delhi. India
TypeNational policy influencing Body
PurposeSay No to Caste Based policies and caste based Reservations
Location
  • India
Website www.youthforequality.in

Youth For Equality is an Indian organisation against caste-based policies and reservations, i.e. affirmative action. It was founded by students in a number of Indian universities in 2006. It organises demonstrations and legal challenges against caste-based policies.

Contents

History

Youth for Equality was founded on April 4, 2006 by students from All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, Indian Institutes of Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Indian Institutes of Management, and other central universities, amidst the protests against The Constitution (93rd Amendment) Act 2005 that was introduced by the First Manmohan Singh ministry, which had granted a 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes in all Central Government institutions. [1] Youth for Equality organised massive anti-reservation demonstrations, where students engage in street protests across India. [2] [3]

Later on, Youth for Equality took legal action against the Act, claiming that it violated the Basic Structure of the Constitution of India. [4] In March 2007, the Supreme Court of India granted an injunction to suspension of OBC[ clarification needed ] reservations. [5] In April 2008, an 11-member constitutional bench of the Supreme Court upheld and reinstated the Act in a 7-4 judgement delivered by Chief Justice India K. G. Balakrishnan, with Justice Dalveer Bhandari providing the dissenting opinion. OBC reservations were implemented in all central universities and institutions, but the government was required to exclude the creamy layer from the OBC (but not SC/ST)[ clarification needed ] reservations. [6]

Youth For Equality contested in the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union elections in 2006 [7] and 2009 and Lok Sabha elections in 2009. [8]

In 2014, Youth For Equality challenged the Maratha reservations instituted by the Government of Maharashtra. [9]

On 10 January 2019, the group petitioned the Supreme Court against the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill 2019, which had increased the cap on reservations from 50% to 60%, to accommodate the newly-defined Economically Weaker Sections, arguing that the law would violate the Supreme Court ruling in Indra Sawhney & Others v. Union of India . [10] On 6 August 2020, the court decided that a 5-member bench would hear the case. [11] In 2023, Youth for Equality group petitioned against Bihar caste-based survey 2023. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jawaharlal Nehru University</span> Public university in New Delhi, India

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is a public major research university located in New Delhi, India. It was established in 1969 and named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. The university is known for leading faculties and research emphasis on social sciences and applied sciences.

The Other Backward Class is a collective term used by the Government of India to classify castes which are educationally or socially backward. It is one of several official classifications of the population of India, along with General castes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The OBCs were found to comprise 52% of the country's population by the Mandal Commission report of 1980, and were determined to be 41% in 2006 when the National Sample Survey Organisation took place. There is substantial debate over the exact number of OBCs in India; it is generally estimated to be sizable, but many believe that it is higher than the figures quoted by either the Mandal Commission or the National Sample Survey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes</span> Official designations given to various groups of indigenous people in India

The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designated in one or other of the categories. For much of the period of British rule in the Indian subcontinent, they were known as the Depressed Classes.

The Mandal Commission or the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission (SEBC), was established in India in 1979 by the Janata Party government under Prime Minister Morarji Desai with a mandate to "identify the socially or educationally backward classes" of India. It was headed by B. P. Mandal, an Indian parliamentarian, to consider the question of reservations for people to address caste discrimination, and used eleven social, economic, and educational indicators to determine backwardness. In 1980, based on its rationale that OBCs identified on the basis of caste, social, economic indicators made up 52% of India's population, the commission's report recommended that members of Other Backward Classes (OBC) be granted reservations to 27% of jobs under the Central government and public sector undertakings, thus making the total number of reservations for SC, ST and OBC to 49.5%.

Reservation is a system of affirmative action in India that provides historically disadvantaged groups representation in education, employment, government schemes, scholarships and politics. Based on provisions in the Indian Constitution, it allows the Union Government and the States and Territories of India to set reserved quotas or seats, at particular percentage in Education Admissions, Employments, Political Bodies, Promotions, etc, for "socially and educationally backward citizens."


The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) practices affirmative action and offers reservation to the "backward and weaker sections" of the society that includes SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS/PWD/Girl candidates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Indian anti-reservation protests</span> Protest in India against reservation for OBCs

The 2006 Indian anti-reservation protests were a series of protests that took place in India in 2006 in opposition to the decision of the Union Government of India, led by the Indian National Congress-headed multiparty coalition United Progressive Alliance, to implement reservations for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in central and private institutes of higher education. These protests were one of the two major protests against the Indian reservation system, the other one being the 1990 anti-Mandal protests.

Forward caste is a term used in India to denote castes which are not listed in SC, ST or OBC reservation lists. They are on average considered ahead of other castes economically and educationally. They account for about 30.8% of the population based on Schedule 10 of available data from the National Sample Survey Organisation 55th (1999–2000) and National Sample Survey Organisation 61st Rounds (2004–05) Round Survey.

Ashoka Kumar Thakur v. Union of India is an Indian public interest litigation case challenging the conclusion of the Mandal Commission that about 52% of the total population of India belonged to Other Backward Classes classification. The National Sample Survey Organisation had estimated the OBC segment to be 42 per cent.

The Constitution Act, 1951, enacted in 1951, made several changes to the Fundamental Rights provisions of the Indian constitution. It provided means to restrict freedom of speech and expression, validation of zamindari abolition laws, and clarified that the right to equality does not bar the enactment of laws which provide "special consideration" for weaker sections of society.

Reservation policy in Tamil Nadu is a system of affirmative action that provides historically disadvantaged groups representation in education and employment. Reservations in the state rose from 41 percent in 1954 to 69 percent in 1990.

The Indian judiciary has made judgments related to reservations, a system of affirmative action that provides for disadvantaged groups. These groups are primarily Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and from 1987 extended to Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Some of the court judgements have been modified by the Indian parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patidar reservation agitation</span>

Starting in July 2015, the people of India's Patidar community, seeking Other Backward Class (OBC) status, held public demonstrations across the Indian state of Gujarat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jat reservation agitation</span> 2016 violent protests

The Jat reservation agitation was a series of violent protests in February 2016 by the Jat people of North India, especially those in the state of Haryana, which "paralysed" the state for 10 days. The protestors sought inclusion of their caste in the Other Backward Class (OBC) category, which would make them eligible for affirmative action benefits. Besides Haryana, the protests also spread to the neighbouring states, such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and the National Capital Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maratha Kranti Morcha</span> Series of silent protests organized by the Maratha community

The Maratha Kranti Morcha, loosely translated as "Maratha revolutionary demonstration" in the Marathi language, is a series of silent and pragmatic protests organized by the Maratha community in various cities across India as well as overseas. Other groups, such as religious minorities including Muslims, have also supported the Morcha. The impetus for the rallies was the rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl in Kopardi village, Maharashtra, on 13 July 2016. The protesters have demanded the death sentence for the rapists. Maratha caste dominate the power and cultural structure in Maharashtra owing to their numerical strength.

Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in India is a subcategory of people having an annual family income less than ₹8 lakh (US$10,000) and who do not belong to any category such as SC/ST/OBC across India, nor to MBC in Tamil Nadu. A candidate who does not fall under SC/ST/OBC and fulfils the EWS economic criteria are to be part of the EWS category.

The One Hundred and Third Amendment of the Constitution of India, officially known as the Constitution Act, 2019, introduces 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of society for admission to Central Government-run educational institutions and private educational institutions, and for employment in Central Government jobs. The Amendment does not make such reservations mandatory in State Government-run educational institutions or State Government jobs. However, some states have chosen to implement the 10% reservation for economically weaker sections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Hundred and Second Amendment of the Constitution of India</span>

The One Hundred and Second Amendment of the Constitution of India, officially known as the Constitution Act, 2018, granted constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).

<i>Indra Sawhney & Others v. Union of India</i> Indian public interest litigation case

Indra Sawhney & Others v. Union of India also known as the Mandal verdict was an Indian landmark public interest litigation case delivered by a 9-judge constitution bench.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Hundred and Fifth Amendment of the Constitution of India</span> Amendment of 2021

The One Hundred and Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of India- officially known as The Constitution Act, 2021- restored the power of State governments to recognise socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs). SEBCs, which includes the groups commonly known as Other Backward Classes (OBCs), are communities for which the State can provide 'special provisions' or affirmative action in India.

References

  1. ↑ "A regressive Bill". Frontline. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  2. ↑ "Students cry out: No reservation please - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  3. ↑ Capron, Christopher (2012-11-25). "Students and doctors protest reservation/affirmative-action system in India, 2006-2008". Global Nonviolent Action Database . Swarthmore College. Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  4. ↑ "Youth For Equality". Youth for Equality.com. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  5. ↑ "Youth For Equality hails stay on OBC reservation". The Economic Times. 2007-03-29. Archived from the original on 2018-08-10. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  6. ↑ "SC upholds 93rd amendment to the Constitution which provides for Right to Education as a Fundamental Right [Read the Judgment]". Live Law. 2014-05-06. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  7. ↑ "After YFE scare - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  8. ↑ "Youth for Equality launches a new political wing". The Hindu. 2009-03-19. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  9. ↑ "Reservation row: Marathas not a backward community, petitioners tell HC". Firstpost. 18 September 2014. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  10. ↑ Chowdhury, Shreya Roy (2019-01-11). "Meet the group that has challenged the 10% reservation for upper castes in the Supreme Court". Scroll.in . Archived from the original on 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  11. ↑ "EWS - Plain English of Referral Order". Supreme Court Observer . Legal Observer Trust. 2020-08-06. Archived from the original on 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  12. ↑ "Why we need the Bihar caste census".
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