Bharat Bandh today: Will schools, colleges remain closed? All you need to know

A nationwide strike, "Bharat Bandh," has been called for today i.e. August 21. This Bandh comes in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling on SC/ST reservations. The Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti has called for this protest, which is supported by SC/ST groups mainly from Rajasthan. 

As per Times of India report, as Rajasthan has support from SC/ST groups, the bandh is anticipated to have strong attendance there which may lead to the closure of schools and other educational institutions inorder to ensure student's safety.

During the protest, law enforcement officials have been directed to take appropriate action to preserve order.

Bharat Bandh 2024 Live Updates

According to reports, the protest organisers have called for shutting down all business establishments, for today. While the business associations have not officially confirmed the shutdown, there is uncertainty regarding whether they will indeed close and the potential impact of the protest on the entire nation.

Will schools remain closed today?

As per media reports, government offices, banks, schools, colleges, and petrol stations are expected to remain open despite call for Bandh. Additionally, essential services such as healthcare, water supply, public transportation, railways, and electricity are also likely to remain operational today.

What did SC ruling state?

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled that states must identify ‘creamy layer’ in the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) and exclude them from quota benefits. The Supreme Court also ruled by a majority judgment that sub-classification within the SC and STs reservation is permissible, overruling the earlier order in the EV Chinnaiah matter that sub-classification was not permissible as SC/STs form “homogenous classes”.

The ‘creamy layer’ within castes and tribes are a category of persons within reserved categories – scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in this case – that are economically and socially advanced.