The Centre on Thursday pushed for reservation in promotions in government jobs for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as it told the Supreme Court that members of these communities had suffered social exclusion for centuries and can't be excluded from the benefit as they are backward.

Referring to their social status, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal said: "They don't have inter-caste marriage. They have to marry within their own caste. They can't ride a mare for their wedding."