US top court strikes down race-based admissions: Kamla Harris calls it "denial of opportunity"

Washington DC [US], June 30 : US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday (US local time) said the US Supreme Court's decision to end "affirmative action" in college admissions is "a denial of opportunity".

The US Supreme Court on Thursday struck down race-based admissions at the University of Harvard and the University of North Carolina.

"The highest court in our land just made a decision today on affirmative action and I feel compelled to speak about it. It is in so very many ways a denial of opportunity," the US Vice President said.

Harris further added that it is a complete misnomer that this is about being colour-blind. "It is being blind to history, blind to empirical evidence about disparities, and blind to the strength that diversity brings to classrooms, to boardrooms," she said.

The US Supreme Court on Thursday struck down race-based admission at the University of Harvard and the University of North Carolina, The Washington Post reported.

This comes amid reports of the university's policies discriminating against White and Asian applicants by giving preference to Black, Hispanic and Native American ones.

In a 6-3 judgement, the apex court gutted affirmative action in college admissions, that use race as a factor.

"The student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual, not on the basis of race," Chief Justice John G Roberts said in the ruling while writing for the majority.

Earlier, President Joe Biden also said that the US Supreme Court has "effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions," by striking down race-based admissions in colleges.

"The Court has effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions. And I strongly, strongly disagree with the Court's decision," Biden said.

He said today's decision rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress.

He added that "I've always believed that the promise of America is big enough for everyone to succeed and that every generation of Americans, we have benefitted by opening the doors of opportunity just a little bit wider to include those who have been left behind."

The US President said he believes colleges are stronger when they are racially diverse. "Our nation is stronger because we are tapping into the full range of talent in this nation," he said.

"I also believe that while talent, creativity, and hard work are everywhere across this country, not equal opportunity. It is not everywhere across this country," he added.

Biden said: "We cannot let this decision be the last word. I want to emphasize: We cannot let this decision be the last word."