Reservation push by states faces judicial tests

State governments' recent moves to expand reservation quotas are facing judicial scrutiny.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld the Madras HC's ruling that religious conversion from Hinduism to another religion does not entitle a person to SC or OBC reservation. The case concerns Tamil Nadu's 3.5% quota for Muslim OBCs. In March 2024, the then DMK government allowed OBCs, SCs and Denotified Communities members who converted to Islam to claim the quota. The Madras HC struck down the order in June 2024 as unconstitutional. The TVK government's appeal was rejected by the SC.

On Monday, the Karnataka HC struck down a 2022 law enacted by the then BJP government raising SC reservation from 15% to 17% and ST reservation from 3% to 7%. With the existing 32% OBC quota, total reservation rose to 56%, exceeding the 50% cap. The state government plans to challenge the ruling in the SC.


Meanwhile, the MP government has moved the SC against a HC ruling striking down a 2019 law enacted by the then Congress govt that raised OBC quota to 27%.