Bombay High Court stops notification of estimated Scheduled Tribes population in Goa, impacting reserved seats

Key facts

• The Bombay High Court at Goa issued an interim order restraining the Census Commissioner from notifying the estimated Scheduled Tribes population in the state.
• The legal challenge was brought by petitioner Edwin Lucio Fernandes against the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Act, 2025.
• The interim order is likely to put the process of reserving four seats for Scheduled Tribes in the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections on hold.
• The court questioned the Census Commissioner's presumption that 9.9 percent of Goa's population is Scheduled Tribe, noting the Commissioner could not ascertain current population figures.
• Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stated that the state government will urge the Central Government to approach the Supreme Court to protect the interests of the Scheduled Tribe community.