A Five-Judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court will commence hearing from August 7 to examine the constitutional validity of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006 providing 27 per cent quota for OBCs in higher educational institutions.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan passed an order to this effect on Thursday. The Bench also comprised Justices R V Raveendran and Dalveer Bhandari. However, the court said as scheduled it will hear on July 31, the Centre's application seeking vacation of the March 29 interim order staying the implementation of the provision of the legislation enabling OBC reservation.

The Bench did not accept the plea to defer the July 31 hearing as lawyers appearing for the petitioners supporting vacation of the stay said the question of academic year was involved. While putting a halt on the implementation of the Act, a two-judge Bench had referred the matter to the CJI for allocating it before a larger Bench.