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39. In Triloki Nath v. State of Jammu and Kashmir, AIR 1969 SC 1 : 1969 (1) SCR 103, adverting to the expression "backward class", the Supreme Court held (at page 3):

"The expression "backward class" is not used as synonymous with 'backward caste' or 'backward community'. The expression 'class" in its ordinary connotation may mean a homogenous section of the people grouped together because of certain likenesses or common traits, and who are identifiable by some common attributes such as status, rank, occupation, residence in a locality, race, religion and the like; but for purposes of Art. 16(4) in determining whether a section forms a class, a test solely based on caste, community, race, religion, sex, descent, place of birth or residence, cannot be adopted, because it would directly offend the Constitution. The members of an entire caste or community may, in the social, economic and educational scale of value at a given time, be backward and may, on that account be treated as a backward class, but that is not because they are members of a caste or community, but because they form a class."