The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that affinity test was neither a litmus test, nor an essential part of the process of determining the correctness of a caste/tribe name in every case.
The verdict was passed by the Bench of Justice S.K. Kaul, Justice A.S. Oka and Justice Manoj Misra, after observing that the occasion to conduct an affinity test would arise only in those cases where the matter has been referred to the Vigilance Cell by the Caste Scrutiny Committee.
While referring a case to the Vigilance Cell, the Scrutiny Committee would have to record reasons as to why it was not satisfied with the material provided by the applicant, observed the Apex Court, adding that an affinity test could not be conclusive either way.
When an affinity test was conducted by the Vigilance Cell, its result, along with all other material on record having probative value would have to be taken into consideration by the Scrutiny Committee to decide the caste validity claim, it added.
An affinity test was conducted to ascertain whether a person followed the traditional cultural traits of a particular community or not.
The top court of the country further said that an affinity test could not be conclusive either way. It said when an affinity test was conducted by the Vigilance cell, the result of the test with all other material on record having probative value would have to be taken into consideration by the Scrutiny Committee to decide the caste validity claim.