Justice Bela Trivedi’s dissenting judgment on scheduled castes classification

In her dissenting judgment, Justice Bela Trivedi stated that state legislatures lack the authority to reclassify or subdivide castes listed as Scheduled Castes. She emphasized that actions, even if affirmative, cannot override constitutional provisions. Only Parliament has the power to modify the Scheduled Castes list. Justice Trivedi argued that the classification of Scheduled Castes, defined by constitutional and Presidential orders, is a unified entity that cannot be altered by state legislation. She stressed that states have no authority to enact laws that alter or provide preferential treatment to specific castes within this category.