Administrative law:

Policy decision - In an earlier writ petition regarding the appointment and reservation for Scheduled Tribe, the High Court passed directions to the Census Department to take all such measures towards conducting the caste-wise census in the country at the earliest and in a time bound manner so as to achieve the goal of social justice in its true sense - Census Department was not arrayed as a party in that writ petition - In the instant writ petition, the High Court referred to the said directions and allowed the writ petition - Held: High Court had travelled beyond the lis in the first round of litigation - High Court could not have issued such a mandamus commanding the Census Department to carry out a census in a particular manner and it erroneously tried to inject the concept of social justice to fructify its direction - Earlier order was not binding on the Census Department as it was not party to the said lis - High Court's order was wholly unsustainable - Census Act, 1940 - s.8.

Policy decision - Interference by courts, scope of.