[OBC Advocate Grant Scheme] We Need The Best Of Lawyers And Judges From OBC Category Also: Kerala High Court

“We have to support these people. We need the best of lawyers and judges from these people also.”

The Counsel for the respondent submitted that the OBC Advocate Grant Scheme was discontinued due to financial crisis. The court stated that the scheme is for the upliftment for the junior lawyers belonging to OBC category and it was only an amount of twelve thousand rupees a year. The court repulsed that it is only thousand rupees a month.

The Counsel for the petitioner submitted before the Court once selected for the scheme, an advocate will receive an annual grant for three consecutive years. It was submitted that due to non-issuance of notification from 2022, the selected junior lawyers of 2021 were not getting the benefit of the scheme anymore.

The Court had earlier sought response from the Government of Kerala and the Directorate of Backward Classes Development Department regarding the discontinuation of the scheme.

The matter has been posted next week for further consideration.

The petitioner was represented by Advocates Ajmal A, Dhanush CA and Rinshad TP.

Case title: Adv. Priyanka Sharma M R v State Of Kerala & Anr.

Case number: WP(C) 31882/2023