NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday gave a third-year law student the lesson of his life – to draw a bold line to separate public from publicity-which he is unlikely to forget in his legal innings ahead.Even before Harry Joseph could argue his PIL, a bench led by CJI-designate Surya Kant asked when was the Presidential Order issued specifying which scheduled caste communities would get reservation? Joseph fumbled but regained composure to say it affects my interest. SC said, “The Order was passed in 1950, and you woke up just now. You want to court the media and seek publicity? This is a publicity interest litigation. Go and complete your studies properly.”The bench told the students that he must research and file a proper PIL and not one like the present one, which is incomplete and contains cryptic and misdirected information. It warned him of exemplary cost if he filed such publicity-oriented petitions.The Presidential Order of 1950, amended in 1956 and 1990, provides reservation to SCs among Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs. However, it is not available to those scheduled caste persons who have adopted Christianity or Islam.
