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PETITIONER: S. SWVIGARADOSS

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: ZONAL MANAGER, F.C.I.

DATE OF JUDGMENT:       25/01/1996

BENCH: RAMASWAMY, K. BENCH: RAMASWAMY, K. G.B. PATTANAIK (J)

CITATION:  1996 AIR 1182            1996 SCC  (3) 100  JT 1996 (2)   182        1996 SCALE  (2)11

ACT:

HEADNOTE:

JUDGMENT:                          O R D E R      The petitioner’s  parents initially  belonged  to  Adi- Dravida  by   caste  hailing   from  Kattalai   village   in Tirunelveli District,  Tamil Nadu.  Admittedly,  before  his birth, they  had converted  into Christian  religion. He was born on  May 7,  1941. He  joined the  service of  the  Food Corporation of  India on March 7, 1968 as Assistant Grade-I. Subsequently, he  had married on February 14, 1969 according to Christian  rites in  a Church. On these facts, notice was given to  the petitioner  to show  cause how  the petitioner would be entitled to benefits and privileges extended to the Scheduled caste  candidates in   future.  Challenging it, he filed a suit. His case is that he was baptized when he was a minor. After  he became  major, he  is continuing  as a Adi- Dravida. The  trial Court though decreed the suit, on appeal it was  reversed and  in  S.A.  No.270/84,  the  High  Court confirmed the same. thus this Special Leave Petition.      It is  contended for the petitioner that  though he was born of  Christian parents,  but with their  consent, he got converted to Hindu at the age of 14 and  on such conversion, he became  Adi-Dravida  and  consequently  entitled  to  the status of  ’Scheduled   Caste’. Therefore, he is entitled to the status  as a  Scheduled Caste.  Article 366  (24) of the Constitution of India defined Scheduled Caste as under:      "Art.366(24) Scheduled  Caste means      such castes,  races  or  tribes  or      parts  of  or  groups  within  such      castes, races  or   tribes  as  are      deemed  under  Article  341  to  be      Scheduled Castes  for the  purposes      or this Constitution." Article 341(1)  empowers the  President of India to specify, in consultation with the Governor of the State, with respect to the State or Union Territory, or for a part of the State, District or   region  by public notification specify castes,

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races or   tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or   tribes which shall for the purposes of the Constitution be deemed  to be ’Scheduled Castes’ in relation to the State or Union  Territory as  the case  may  be,  Sub-Article  (2) empowers the parliament by law to include in or exclude from the list  of Scheduled  Castes specified in the notification issued under  clause (1) any caste, race or tribe or part of or group  within any  caste, race  or  tribe,  but  save  as aforesaid a  notification issued under the said clause shall not be  varied by  any  subsequent  notification.  In  other words,  the   Constitutional  mandate  is  that  it  is  the President  who   is  empowered,  in  consultation  with  the Governor of  the State,  to specify by a public notification the caste,  race or  tribe or parts or groups within castes, races  or  tribes  which  shall  for  the  purposes  of  the Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Castes in relation to that State or Union Territory.      In B.  Basavalingappa   v. D.  Munichinnappa [[(1965) 1 SCR 316]  the Constitution  [Scheduled Castes]  Order,  1950 specified Bhovi  caste as a Scheduled Caste. The respondent, a Voddar  by caste  contested election  as a Scheduled-Caste Bhovi. A  Constitution Bench  examined the scheme of Article 341 and  upheld the contention of the appellant that in view of the stringent provisions of the Constitution with respect to a notification issued under clause [1], it is not open to anyone  to   include  any   caste  as   coming  within   the notification on  the basis of evidence - oral or documentary if the  caste in  question does not find specific mention in the terms  of the  notification, it was not open, therefore, to give  evidence that  a particular  caste was  a Scheduled Caste not mentioned in the 1550 Order.      In Bhaiyalal  v. Harikishan  Singh & Ors. [(1965) 2 SCR 874]  wherein   the  same   question  had   arisen,  another Constitution Bench  had held that in specifying castes races or tribes  under Article  341 [1]  of the  Constitution, the President  has   been  expressly  authorized  to  limit  the notification to parts of or groups within the caste, race or tribe to  be Scheduled Caste by including them in the Order. That would  be applicable in relation to the entire State or in relation  to parts  of the  State where  the President is satisfied that  on examination of the social and educational backwardness of  the race,  caste or  tribe  justifies  such specification.      In Srish  Kumar Choudhury  vs. State  of Tripura & Ors. [1990 supp.  SCC 220] a three-Judge Bench was called upon to consider whether  Laskar community  in State of Tripura is a Scheduled  Tribe.   After  examining   the  scheme   of  the Constitution  it  was  held  that  though  evidence  may  be admissible to  verify the  entries in the Presidential Order to find  a caste/tribe  included in  a particular  tribe  or caste, tribal communities, the admissibility of the evidence is confined  within the limitations enacted in the order. It was  not   open  to  the  Court  to  make  any  addition  or subtraction from the Presidential Order.      In Kumari  Madhuri Patel  & Ors  vs. Addl Commissioner, Tribal Development  & Ors.  [(1994) 6  SCC 241], a two-Judge Bench further  considered whether Kolis, a Backward Class in Maharashtra would  be declared  as Mahadeo Koli, a Scheduled Tribe in  Maharashtra. It  was held that after the amendment under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribet Order [Amendment Act], 1976,  no substraction  or addition  to it  by way  of declaration of  castes, tribes  or sub-caste,  parts  of  or groups of  tribes or  tribal community  is permissible.  and that the Presidential notification, subject to the amendment by Parliament, is conclusive.

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    The Courts,  therefore, have  no power  except to  give effect to  the notification  issued by  the President. It is settled law  that the  Court  would  look  into  the  public notification under  Section 341(1)  or 342(1)  for a limited purpose. The  notification issued  by the  President and the Act of  the Parliament  under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes  Order   (Amendment)  Act,  1976  and  the  Schedules appended thereto  can be looked into for the purpose to find whether the  castes, races  or tribes are parts of or groups within castes  races or tribes shall be Scheduled Castes for the purposes  of the  Constitution. Under the Amendment Act, 1976, again  the Parliament  has included  or excluded  from schedules  appended   to  the  Constitution  which  are  now conclusive. Schedule  I  relates  to  Scheduled  Castes  and Schedule II  relates to Scheduled Tribes. Christian is not a Scheduled  Caste   under  the  notification  issued  by  the President.  In  view  of  the  admitted  position  that  the petitioner was  born of  Christian parents  and his  parents also were  converted  prior  to  his  birth  and  no  longer remained to  be Adi  Dravida,  a  Scheduled  Caste  for  the purpose of Tirunelveli District in Tamil Nadu as notified by the President,  petitioner cannot  claim to  be a  Scheduled Caste. In the light of the constitutional scheme civil court has no  jurisdiction under Section 9 of CPC to entertain the suit. The  suits therefore,  is not  maintainable. The  High Court,therefore, was  right in  dismissing the  suit as  not maintainable and also not giving any declaration sought for.      The SLP is accordingly dismissed.