The Supreme Court today reserved its verdict on whether to refer to a Constitution bench a batch of pleas challenging Centre’s decision to grant 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education to economically weaker section, EWS.

Attorney General KK Venugopal told a bench headed by Justice S A Bobde that the Constitution (103 amendment) Act, 2019 granting 10 per cent reservation to EWS is intended to uplift around 200 million people who are still below the poverty line.

The bench, also comprising Justices R Subhash Reddy and BR Gavai, was hearing a batch of pleas challenging the validity of the Act on the ground that economic criteria cannot be the sole basis for granting reservation.