Reservation push by states faces judicial tests
State governments' recent attempts to broaden reservation quotas are encountering judicial examination. The Supreme Court recently affirmed the Madras High Court's decision that religious conversion from Hinduism to any other faith does not automatically grant an individual a seat in the Scheduled Caste (SC) or Other Backward Class (OBC) quota.
The dispute centers around Tamil Nadu's 3.5% reservation for Muslim OBCs. In March 2024, the DMK administration permitted OBCs, Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Denotified Communities members who converted to Islam to benefit from this quota. However, the Madras HC dismissed this move as unconstitutional in June 2024, and the TVK government's appeal was likewise rejected by the Supreme Court.
Earlier this week, the Karnataka High Court overturned a 2022 statute enacted by the previous BJP government that increased Scheduled Caste reservation from 15% to 17% and Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation from 3% to 7%. With the existing 32% OBC quota, the total reservation rate reached 56%, surpassing the 50% limit. The state government intends to contest this judgment in the Supreme Court.
Simultaneously, the Madhya Pradesh government has lodged a petition with the Supreme Court against a High Court ruling that nullified a 2019 law passed by the then Congress government. This legislation expanded the OBC quota to 27%.
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