Madhya Pradesh OBC Reservation Row: 11,000 Aspirants In Limbo As Government Halts Recruitment, Awaits Supreme Court Hearing

In Madhya Pradesh, the fate of 11,000 aspiring candidates is hanging in the balance following the high court's refusal to uphold the government's decision to grant the 27% reservation to the OBC category. The state government has filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the high court's decision. Meanwhile, the government is still deliberating on the 13% of posts that were placed on hold.

In its ruling, the high court instructed the government to fill 13% of the posts through unreserved candidates based on merit. However, the General Administration Department (GAD) has yet to issue directives to fill these 13% posts. The government is torn between filling the posts with unreserved candidates as per the high court's order or maintaining the current status quo.

The government has also withheld the advertisements for recruitment issued by various departments. The high court's order mandates that the government should recruit based on the 14% OBC reservation, but the state is concerned that issuing advertisements mentioning the 14% quota could provoke the OBC community. The advertisements with a 14% quota could also affect the pending SLP in the Supreme Court.

The government is currently waiting for the Supreme Court's hearing before making any decisions on the matter. It may have already filed an SLP in the Supreme Court, but has not yet requested the apex court to stay the high court's order. The high court's order remains in effect until the Supreme Court grants a stay on it. The government can only hold back 13% of the posts until the Supreme Court stays the high court's order based on the government's petition or the one filed by the OBC members. Until then, the government must recruit employees with a 14% quota for the OBC category.