New Delhi: The Apex Court on Friday heard petitions challenging the Bill to amend the Constitution to grant 10% reservation to the economically weaker section in the general category and said that it will examine the validity of the Centre’s decision to grant quota to poor in general category in government jobs and educational institutions. It, however, refused to order a stay on the decision.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna issued a notice to the Central government on various petitions challenging the validity of the 103 Constitutional Amendment Act.

“We are examining the matter and hence issuing notice returnable within four weeks,” the Supreme Court bench said.

The Modi government recently passed the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill 2019 to grant reservation to economically backward upper caste people in government jobs and educational institutions.

The petitions were filed by parties including organisations like Janhit Abhiyan and Youth For Equality challenging the Centre’s decision. They had argued that the Bill passed by the Parliament to add new clauses in Article 15 and Article 16 violated the basic structure of the Constitution.