The order was passed by the seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Anil Ramesh Dave on a petition filed by an advocate K Kondala Rao.

The state government had moved a bill in the Assembly on the basis of a report submitted to it by the Andhra Pradesh Commission for Backward Classes. The bill was later passed by the Assembly.

The report had recommended that the socially and educationally backward should be adequately represented in the state.

The government order (GO) was issued on July 7, 2007 providing the 4 per cent reservation to the 15 groups. PTI