HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN BENCH AT JAIPUR
Akil Kureshi, Sudesh Bansal, JJ.
Bhateri Devi – Appellant
Versus
State Of Rajasthan & Ors. – Respondents
D.B. Special Appeal Writ No. 23 of 2021
Decided On : 25-02-2022
Caste Certificate - Reservation - The court held that the petitioners were not entitled to claim the benefit of reservation in ongoing Panchayat Elections. It allowed the petitioners to apply for caste certificates before the competent authority and directed the inclusion of specific clauses in the certificates to prevent misuse and clarify the limited purpose of the certificates.
Fact of the Case:
The application was filed by a non-party to a writ petition regarding the issuance of caste certificates for members belonging to reserved categories from another State.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the applicant did not have the right to challenge the judgment of the learned Single Judge as it was rendered in the case of other petitioners. The court declined leave to appeal and disposed of the appeal accordingly.
Issues: The main issue was the entitlement of the petitioners to claim the benefit of reservation in ongoing Panchayat Elections and the inclusion of specific clauses in the caste certificates.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the petitioners were not entitled to claim the benefit of reservation in ongoing Panchayat Elections and directed the inclusion of specific clauses in the caste certificates to prevent misuse and clarify the limited purpose of the certificates.
Final Decision: Leave to appeal was declined, and the appeal was disposed of accordingly. All pending applications were also disposed of.
JUDGMENT
D.B. Civil Misc. application No.1/2021:
1. This application has been filed by a non-party to the writ petition No.11093/2020 and connected petitions which were disposed of by a common judgment dated 24.09.2020 by the learned Single Judge. The question pertains to issuance of caste certificate in favour of a member belonging to a reserved category class who hailing from another State. The learned Single Judge disposed of the writ petition in following terms:-
'15.In view of the above discussion, all these petitions are disposed of in following manner:-
(i) The prayer of the petitioners for claiming the benefit of reservation in ongoing Panchayat Elections is hereby declined.
(ii) For issuance of caste certificate, the petitioners are at liberty to apply before the competent authority (concerned Sub Divisional Magistrate) who shall expeditiously dispose of their application(s) after following due procedure and in case of rejection of the application, the petitioners may take available legal recourse.
(iii) In order to avoid any sort of confusion, to prevent misuse of caste certificates and to ensure clarity in issuing the certificates in favour of the persons who have migrated from other States to the State of Rajasthan, a note shall be prominently appended to such caste certificates as under:-
(a) On the basis of this certificate, the migrated person shall not be entitled to claim benefit of reservation in public employment and elections including Panchayat Elections.
(b) This certificate has been issued only for the limited purpose of claiming benefits specifically made available for such migrant persons in Government Schemes.
(c) Some other clarification may also be appended as deemed necessary.
(iv) Interim orders are vacated and stay applications stand disposed of.
2. Having heard learned counsel for the proposed appellant we do not find that the said person has a right to challenge the judgment of the learned Single Judge. It was rendered by the learned Single Judge in case of other petitioners. If the law laid down by the Single Bench in some way or the other hurts the present applicant, that by itself would not give him a right to challenge the judgment. The directions for insertion of certain clauses in the caste certificate to be issued by the state authorities also does not affect the applicant since admittedly no state authority has asked the applicant to return the caste certificate already issued in which the authority wishes to make declaration as provided by the Single Judge in paragraph 15 of the judgment.
3. In that view of the matter, leave to appeal is declined. The appeal is disposed of accordingly. all pending applications stand disposed of.
AI
The court clarified the limited purpose of the caste certificates and directed the inclusion of specific clauses to prevent misuse and ensure clarity in issuing the certificates.
Females migrating to Rajasthan after marriage may not be entitled to reservation benefits in public employment but can be entitled to SC/ST/OBC caste certificate.
Migrants to Rajasthan are entitled to obtain caste certificates as OBCs but cannot claim reservation benefits in public employment or elections based on those certificates.
Females migrating to Rajasthan post marriage may not be entitled to reservation in public employment but are entitled to be issued a caste certificate for other benefits.
Reservation benefits are strictly confined to the State for which the caste is notified, and cannot be claimed across State lines based on marriage or migration.
A female who has migrated to the State of Rajasthan post marriage is entitled to be issued an OBC certificate, but not entitled to reservation in public employment in the State of Rajasthan.
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