By News Desk 
During a recent hearing on a petition related to local body elections in Maharashtra, the Supreme Court made a striking observation about the country’s reservation system. The bench, comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N.K. Singh, likened the reservation mechanism to the Indian Railways, where people who have already secured their seats are reluctant to let others enter the coach.
“Reservation Has Become Like a Railway Coach”
Justice Surya Kant remarked, “The reservation system in this country now functions like the Indian Railways. Those who have entered the coach don’t want anyone else to come in. That’s the whole game. The petitioner seems to be playing the same game, while additional coaches are being added at the back.”
His comments came while senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the petitioner, argued in favor of broader inclusivity. He said that when the principle of inclusiveness is followed, the state is obliged to identify more groups that deserve representation.
Question Raised on OBC Reservation
The court also questioned the logic of limiting reservation benefits to certain families or communities, asking why various types of backwardness—social, political, and economic—should not all be considered. “Why should someone who is socially or economically backward be excluded from the benefits just because they’re not politically backward?” the court asked.
Sankaranarayanan challenged the findings of the Banthia Commission, which had recommended reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local elections. He argued that the commission failed to assess whether the OBCs were politically backward—a key constitutional requirement. He emphasized that political backwardness must be assessed independently, and cannot be assumed based solely on social or educational disadvantage.