The Supreme Court on Friday, allowed the Andhra Pradesh government to go ahead with the counselling process for providing four per cent reservations to backward Muslims in educational institutions.

However, a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan made it clear that none of the candidates will be given admission till any order was passed by it. It posted the matter for hearing after the summer vacation.
    
The state government has challenged the stay imposed by the Andhra Pradesh high court on providing four per cent reservations to backward Muslims.
    
In its petition, the Andhra Pradesh government submitted that the reservation sought to be provided to backward Muslims was constitutionally valid and hence it be allowed to implement the quota policy formulated under the AP Reservation in Favour of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes of Muslims Act, 2007.
   
A seven-judge bench of the high court on April 29 had restrained the government from implementing the four per cent quota for backward Muslims until the bunch of writ petitions filed before it was disposed of.
    
The state government in its special leave petition has said that the Act was brought in after taking into consideration the report of the Andhra Pradesh Commission of Backward Classes on the basis of which the backward Muslims were identified for the purpose of extending the benefits of reservation.