US supreme court will hear challenge to affirmative action in college admission

Historically, the supreme court has upheld the use of race-based considerations in college admissions since first affirmative action case in 1974. Photograph: Daniel Slim/AFP/Getty Images

The US supreme court agreed on Monday to hear a pair of cases on race-based affirmative action in college admission, giving the majority-conservative court an opportunity to overturn protections that increase opportunities for individuals belonging to groups known to have been discriminated against.

It is the latest high-profile issue to be taken up by the court, which is also set to examine major cases on abortion, gun control, religious freedoms and Covid-19.