India’s High Court Calls Halt to Job Quota Plan

NEW DELHI —  India’s Supreme Court today ordered the government to halt its job quota program. The court said it hopes its temporary injunction will stop a wave of student protests and suicides.

The five-judge panel also advanced the date for hearing arguments on the legality of the program by two weeks, to Oct. 25, Press Trust of India reported.

The court said the government could continue preparations for carrying out the plan, which reserves 27% of federal jobs for low-caste Hindus.

The government is assembling a list of thousands of castes that will qualify for preference in job applications. Another 22% already are set aside for the lowest strata in the rigid hierarchy of Indian society--tribespeople and the so-called untouchables.

Acting Chief Justice Ranganath Mishra said he hopes peace will be restored while the issue is being studied by the court.

In the northern town of Jammu, 17-year-old student Sandeep Sharma set himself on fire today in the latest suicide bid to protest the job quotas. He suffered third-degree burns.

At least 70 persons have died in demonstrations against the plan. About 20 were upper-caste students who committed suicide by self-immolation or poisoning after claiming they were victimized by the plan.

Prime Minister V. P. Singh announced the policy Aug. 7 to increase the quota for low-caste Indians in government jobs to 49%, saying he was seeking social justice for Indians discriminated against because of the social station of their birth.