MP Reservation Row: High Court Asks Chief Secretary To Ensure 50% Quota Ceiling Across Departments

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has instructed the chief secretary to ensure that the 50% reservation quota ceiling is strictly adhered to across all departments in the state. This directive emerged during a recent hearing on the reservation policy in promotions. The court's next hearing is scheduled for December 1st. The high court emphasized its role in monitoring compliance, ensuring no department exceeds the 50% ceiling by promoting more than half of the incumbents from reserved categories until the case is resolved or the Supreme Court intervenes.

The hearing pertains to the state's proposal to raise the OBC reservation from 14% to 27%, which would surpass the 50% overall reservation limit. The court affirmed that promotion decisions are a fundamental right of employees, but are bound by the Supreme Court's ruling in Indra Sawhney, which stipulates that the reservation ceiling cannot be exceeded, either directly or indirectly.

Advocate General Prashant Singh informed the court that the Supreme Court's April 2026 order in Jarnail Singh and Ors. vs. Lachhmi Narain Gupta and Ors. mandates that appeals must be filed within three months. The matter remains pending before the Supreme Court.