Punjab and Haryana High Court upholds Jat quota Act valid, but stays it till March 2018

The Jat quota will remain on hold, said the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday.

New Delhi: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday upheld the constitutional validity of the Haryana Backward Classes Act 2016. The court referred the petition on Jat reservation to the National Commission for Backward Classes, which will have to submit its report by March 31, 2018.

“The court has directed the state government present the Backward Class Commission data collected by it, else the commission will collect data on basis of which percentage to which extent reservation is to be granted to be determined,” Haryana Additional Advocate General Lokesh Singhal told news agency ANI.

“Commission has to decide the issue by March 31, 2018. Reservation granted to caste mentioned in Class-III to remain in abeyance till then,” added Singhal.

The court was expected to pronounce the verdict on the constitutional validity of Haryana Backward Classes Act 2016, that gives reservation in services and admissions in educational institutions to Jat communities and five others under the BC(C) category.

Haryana and Delhi police are on high alert following court's latest order.