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(10) The totality of provisions firstly declaring the right to equality and secondly enabling the State to reduce the present state of inequality ^ by making special provisions for those who are suffering from inequality and correspondingly restricting the equality of opportunity available to the better placed classes have seen set out at the outset of this judge name The reason for enacting Articles 15(3) and 16(4) was that the right to equality declared in Articles 15(1), 16(1) and 16(2) had to be balanced by benign or reverse discrimination made in favor of the disadvantaged classes by Articles 15(3) and 16(4), when it was realised that Articles 15(1) and 29(2) asserting the equality of opportunity to everyone whether fortunately placed or not and would not permit benign or reverse discrimination in favor of the backward classes. The Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951 added clause (4) to Article 15 to enable the State to discriminate in favor of the backward classes under Article 15 just as this purpose is served by clause (4) of Article 16 for the purpose of that Article.

(14) In so far as the decision in Thomas is that Articles 14, 15 and 16 have to be read together to form the totality of provisions dealing with the right to equality, it follows the previous decisions of the Supreme Court. Thomas, however, goes further and gives a wider scope to the power of the State to practise benign or reverse discrimination to help the backward classes or scheduled castes or tribes. The power of the State under Article 16(4) is as wide as its general power of reasonable classification spelt out from Articles 14, 15(1). 16(1) and 16(2). It is not necessary to treat Article 16(4) as an exception to the general rule. Had it been treated as an exception its scope would have been narrower and it would have to be strictly construed. Not being an exception but only an application of the general rule. Article 16(4) can be as widely construed as Article 16(1), which includes reasonable classification.