{
  "id": 13285567,
  "title": "Striking down 27% quota, Madhya Pradesh High Court cites OBC chief ministers, quotes Rousseau",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/striking-down-27-quota-madhya-pradesh-high-court-cites-obc-chief-13285567",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-10T01:09:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express - India",
    "slug": "the-indian-express-india",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/india/madhya-pradesh-high-court-obc-quota-rousseau-10914779/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Madhya Pradesh's High Court has overturned the 2019 law expanding the quota for OBCs from 14% to 27%. The decision was based on the court's finding that the state had not proven the exceptional circumstances required to exceed the Supreme Court's 50% reservation limit. The then Congress government, led by Kamal Nath, had introduced the law ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to appeal to the OBC population, which comprises half of the state's residents. The BJP government that took office in 2020 also supported the bill, although it came after challenges had been raised in the High Court. A two-judge panel, comprising Justice Anand Pathak and Vinay Saraf, determined that the data on higher education and public employment showed that OBCs were already well-represented in Madhya Pradesh. The court emphasized that the issue was not whether OBCs should receive reservations, but about the extent of the reservation. The bench noted that the data indicated OBCs were adequately represented and even advancing in political, educational, economic, and social fields. All appointments made between March 2019 and September 2022 under the expanded quota would remain in place, with adjustments made in the next three recruitment drives. Appointments made after September 2022 would be filled 87% through the quota and 13% from the unreserved category. The court also referenced the views of philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, drawing parallels between natural freedom, societal constraints, and the constitutional principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "High School Football: OHSAA cites texts, social media posts in response to Morgerson lawsuit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/high-school-football-ohsaa-cites-texts-social-media-posts-in-response",
        "published": "2026-10-10T01:02:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Striking down 27% quota, Madhya Pradesh High Court cites OBC chief ministers, quotes Rousseau",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/striking-down-27-quota-madhya-pradesh-high-court-cites-obc-chief",
        "published": "2026-10-10T01:09:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}