Ninth Schedule

• The Bihar government has urged the Centre to incorporate the hiked reservation for deprived castes from 50 to 65 per cent in state government jobs and educational institutions in the 9th schedule of the Constitution, so that it is guaranteed immunity from legal scrutiny.
• The Ninth Schedule of the Constitution includes a list of Central and state laws that cannot be challenged in courts.
  • It was added by Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951.
• In 1992 Indra Sawhney v Union of India verdict, the Supreme Court had capped reservations for the backward classes at 50 per cent.

 I R COELHO V. STATE OF TAMIL NADU (2007) JUDGEMENT

• The nine-judge bench had delivered a unanimous verdict on January 11, 2007 in Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu and others case, upholding the ‘Basic Structure Doctrine’.
• The authority of the judiciary to review any such laws, which destroy or damage the basic structure as indicated in Art.21 read with Art.14, Art.19 and the principles underlying there under, are open to judicial scrutiny, even if they have been put in 9th Schedule after April 14, 1973.
• This case is popularly known as The Ninth Schedule Case.