Goa Court Questions Validity of 9.9% ST Population Estimate

By MediaFx

The Bombay High Court at Goa has raised serious doubts about the validity of a 9.9% population estimate for Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the state, which was used to justify reservation of four seats in the Legislative Assembly. The court noted that the Census Commissioner had admitted it could not estimate or ascertain current population figures for STs, yet proceeded to assume the proportion remained constant at 9.9%, based on the 2001 Census. The court said this assumption was unjustified and contradicted the constitutional mandates under Articles 170(3) and 332. The estimate was part of an Act passed in August 2025 to enable reservation for STs in the Assembly, which came into force in August 2026. The petitioner argued the Act was unconstitutional, as it required a census-based population estimate before reserving seats. The court's interim order has paused the process of reserving seats, pending resolution of these legal issues. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has vowed to pursue the matter with the Central Government, seeking Supreme Court intervention to protect ST interests.

Reporting: Indian Express India

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