High Court Quashes Haryana Law Providing 75% Quota in Private Jobs

Reservation is a buzzword in Indian politics with various political parties declaring quotas to different sections of society. In a setback to the Haryana government, on 17 Nov, the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed a state government law that provided 75% reservation in private sector jobs to the residents of the state. Justices G S Sandhawalia and Harpreet Kaur Jeewan said, ‘The concept of constitutional morality has been openly violated by introducing a secondary status to a set of citizens not belonging to the State of Haryana and curtailing their fundamental rights to earn their livelihood.’ The law was an election promise by the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) during the 2019 assembly polls and was implemented 15 Jan 2022. The law covered jobs offering a maximum gross monthly salary or wages up to $360 per month and was applicable to employers of the private sector companies, societies, trusts, limited liability partnership firms, partnership firms and any person who employs ten or more people on salary, wages or other remuneration for manufacturing, carrying on business or rendering any service in Haryana. The BJP government in Haryana is supported by JJP. During the farmers’ protest (2021-22) the JJP faced a lot of pressure to withdraw support to the BJP government. The party did not withdraw support because it calculated the reservation would help them in the next elections. Now that motive is quashed. The quota in Haryana had also led to demand for the same in Panjab which faces both: exodus of youth to western countries and immigration of labor from east India.