Chief Justice Gavai Defends SC/ST Sub-Classification: "True Equality Recognizes Socioeconomic Disparities Within Reserved Categories"

Nov 22, 2025 02:04 am CST

Outgoing Chief Justice of India BR Gavai defended his landmark judgment on sub-classification in SC/ST reservations during his farewell address, emphasizing that true equality requires recognizing socioeconomic disparities even within reserved categories. The second Dalit Chief Justice explained why the son of a chief secretary and the son of an agricultural laborer cannot reasonably compete on equal terms, reinforcing the constitutional vision of substantive equality articulated by Dr. Ambedkar.