The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the central and the state governments on a PIL seeking increase the SC/ST representation of in the parliament and state assemblies in proportion to their increased population across the country.
An apex court bench of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice Arun Mishra issued notice after senior counsel Kiran Suri told the court that since 2002 to 2011, 529 new castes have been added to SC/ST list and that alone added another five crore to the SC/ST population.
Petitioner Puran Singh, a former Indian Foreign Service officer, has contended that despite increase in the SC/ST population on account of the addition of more categories, there was no proportionate increase in SC/ST seats in the parliament and state assemblies.