The Supreme Court's judgement on OBC reservation in local body polls of Maharashtra should be studied in great detail by the Government of Goa and the Goa State Election Commission to ensure that the reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) can be ensured in the upcoming elections to village panchayats in Goa.
A bare perusal of the Supreme Court's Judgement indicates that reservation to OBCs can be provided only by adhering to the "triple test", which includes establishing a dedicated Commission to conduct contemporaneous rigorous empirical inquiry into the nature and implications of the backwardness. I do not think this has been done so far in Goa. The implication of the judgement has led to panchayat elections in Odisha without OBC reservation.
Goa State has much population of OBC brethren, and denying them the proportional representation through affirmative action would be unjust. It is therefore requested to ensure that OBC reservation is ensured. If need be, the authorities can postpone elections till October-November 2022, and administrators can be appointed for the Panchayats till then.
