SHRI KSHETRIMAYUM MAHESHKUMAR SINGH AND ANR.V. THE MANIPUR UNIVERSITY AND ORS. versus THE MANIPUR UNIVERSITY AND ORS.

Citation: [2022] 1 S.C.R. 479 · Decided: 05-01-2022 · Supreme Court of India · Bench: L. NAGESWARA RAO · Disposal: Dismissed

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Judgment (excerpt)

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[2022] 1 S.C.R. 479
479
SHRI KSHETRIMAYUM MAHESHKUMAR SINGH AND ANR.
v.
THE MANIPUR UNIVERSITY AND ORS.
(Civil Appeal No. 163 of 2022)
JANUARY 05, 2022
[L. NAGESWARA RAO AND HIMA KOHLI, JJ.]
Education/Educational Institutions – Central Educational
Institutions (Reservation in admission) Act, 2006 (as amended in
2012) – Reservation of seats in State University which was
subsequently converted into a Central University – Whether the
Amendment Act of 2012 was legislated to ensure that the reservation
for SC and ST candidates as prescribed in s.3 of the Parent Act,
2006 should not be reduced from bench mark of 15% and 7.5%
respectively – Whether the Amendment Act contemplates that the
percentage of reservation for SC and ST candidates earmarked in
s.3 of Parent Act could be increased even to the detriment of the
earmarked percentage of reservation for OBC candidates, to ensure
that the over all 50% reservation for SC and ST taken collectively,
is not disturbed in any manner – Held: The Amendment Act was
enacted only to resolve the difficulties that were being faced by the
Central Educational Institutions in implementing the Reservation
Act when it came to the North Eastern States, including the State of
Manipur – The two provisos inserted in s.3 of the Parent Act are
nothing but a recognition of the demography of the North Eastern
States covered under the umbrella of “Specified north eastern
region” which have a substantial tribal population – After the
amendment of the Parent Reservation Act of 2006, Manipur
University had to follow the reservation norms of 2% for SC
candidates, 31% for ST candidates and 17% for OBC candidates
which is in consonance with the 2nd proviso to s.3 of the Parent
Reservation Act inserted by virtue of the Amendment Act of 2012.
Parliamentary 
Committees 
Reports: 
Reports 
and
recommendations made by the Parliamentary Committees/
Commissions that precede enactment of a Statute can be used as
external aids to interpret the meaning of ambiguous words in a
statutory provision wherever considered necessary – It can also be
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480
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[2022] 1 S.C.R.
taken note of as to the existence of a historical fact – At the same
time, it must be borne in mind that such Reports are not decisive
and a Court is free to arrive at a different conclusion based on its
own findings and other evidence produced by the parties.
Dismissing the appeal, the Court
HELD: 1. Respondent No. 1 – University was originally
established as a ‘State University’ in the year 1980 under the
Manipur University Act No. 8 of 1980. As a State University,
respondent No. 1 – University was following the Manipur State
reservation policy by reserving 2% seats for SC candidates and
31% for ST candidates for admission into various courses. On
13th October, 2005, the respondent No. 1 – University was
converted into a ‘Central University’ under the Manipur
University Act No. 54 of 2005. After conversion too, respondent
No. 1 - University continued following the Manipur State
Reservation Policy, i.e., 2% for SC and 31% for ST for admission
upto the academic session 2008-2009. On 3rd January, 2007, the
Reservation Act came into force. Pursuant thereto, the
respondent No. 1 – University started following the reservation
policy as prescribed in Section 3 of the Reservation Act i.e. 15%
for SCs, 7.5% for STs and 27% for OBCs for the academic session
2009-2010 onwards. A shift in reservation came on amendment
of the Reservation Act by virtue of the Amendment Act w.e.f.
19th June, 2012. [Para 20][498-E-H]
2. The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in
Admission) Amendment Bill, 2010 was placed before the
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources
Development that submitted its 234th Report, which was tabled
before both the Houses of the Parliament on 26th February, 2011.
The Standing Committee took note of the Statement of Objects
and Reasons for amending the Reservation Act and also noticed
the practical difficulties faced by some of the CEIs in implementing
the provisions of the Reservation Act as expressed by the
Department of Higher Education. [Paras 21, 22][499-A;
500-E-F]
3. Reports and recommendations made by the Parliamentary
Committees/Commissions that precede enactment of a Statute
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481
can be used as external aids to interpret the meaning of ambiguous
words in a statutory provision wherever considered necessary.
It can also be taken note of as to the existence 

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