Reservation Quota

Telangana HC stays decision to grant 42% reservation to Backward Classes

The decision was passed after two days of detailed arguments over the legality and proportion of the increased BC quota in the local body elections

Rail blockade by Kurmis hits Jharkhand train services, key routes disrupted

Defying prohibitory orders, a rail blockade by Kurmis is underway at various stations in Jharkhand on Saturday morning, disrupting train services partially in the state, officials said. The protestors were seen sitting on tracks at Rai station in Ranchi, Parasnath in Giridih and Chandrpura in Bokaro district under the banner of Adivasi Kurmi Samaj (AKS) to press their demand for a Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the community and inclusion of the Kurmali language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. According to a statement issued by the railways, train services in the jurisdiction of the South Eastern Railway (SER) and Dhanbad division of the East Central Railway (ECR) have been partially affected due to the agitation by Adivasi Kudmi Samaj. "At least three trains, including Hatia-Barddhaman Memu and Tatanagar-Gua-Tatanagar Memu, have been cancelled, one has been short-terminated and four were controlled," it said. Security personnel were trying to pacify the protestors and

SC bars reserved category from switching to general if rules prohibit

Supreme Court rules that reserved candidates using relaxations cannot claim unreserved posts if recruitment rules restrict such migration

Karnataka Cabinet decides to provide internal reservation among SCs

The Karnataka cabinet on Tuesday night decided to provide internal reservation among Scheduled Castes by categorising 101 castes among them into three categories, official sources said. In a special meeting, the Cabinet discussed the recommendations of the Justice H N Nagmohan Das Commission report, aimed at providing internal reservation among Scheduled Castes (SCs). The commission had submitted its 1,766-page report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on August 4, and it was placed before the cabinet on August 7. The internal reservation is aimed at slicing up the 17 per cent reservation matrix given to 101 scheduled castes. According to sources, the cabinet decided to accept the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission's report, but made some alterations. Of the 17 per cent reservation that SCs have in the state, as per the internal reservation formula evolved by the Cabinet, the SC (Right) and SC (Left) will get 6 per cent each, while the 'touchable' Dalit communities (Lambani, Bhovi, Korm

Justice Nagamohan Das submits SC internal quota report to CM Siddaramaiah

Justice H N Nagamohan Das, who heads the one-man commission on internal reservation for Scheduled Caste in government jobs and education institutions, on Monday submitted his report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah said the report would be presented in the cabinet meeting on August 7. "The report has been submitted. There is a cabinet meeting on August 7 where we will present it and take a decision," he added. Justice Das said he has submitted 1,766-page report. He further said 27,24,768 Scheduled Caste households and 1,07,01,982 individuals from the state participated in the survey. "At this juncture, this is the state government's property. I have no control over it. Its content and the decision whether to accept it or reject it rests entirely with the state government," Justice Das said. The retired High Court judge said that the state government formed the commission headed by him on January 1, 2025, and on March 27, he submitted an interi

Cong vows to break 50% quota cap, bats for OBC reservation in pvt sector

Congress passes the Bengaluru Declaration, vowing to break the 50% reservation cap and push for OBC quotas in private education

In a first, Supreme Court introduces SC, ST quotas in staff recruitment

In a first, the Supreme Court has introduced a formal reservation policy for the direct appointment and promotion of its staffers belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. The decision was communicated in a circular issued on June 24 to all Supreme Court employees. "As per the directions of the Competent Authority, it is to notify for the information of all concerned that the Model Reservation Roster and Register has been uploaded on the Supnet (internal email network) and it is made effective from June 23, 2025. "It is to inform further that in case of objections/representations raised by any staff member about mistakes or inaccuracies in the roster or register, they may inform about the same to the Registrar (Recruitment)," the circular said. As per the circular and the model roster now in effect, top court employees will receive a 15 per cent quota and ST employees a 7.5 per cent quota in promotions. According to the policy, the quota benefits will be available to ...

Explained: What is caste census, when was it last held and why is it back?

The NDA government gave the green light to conducting the Opposition's long-standing demand of caste census in the upcoming national Census. Here's a look at its history and possible implications

Caste cannot be divided for reservation in education, jobs: Karnataka HC

The Karnataka High Court has ruled that a single community cannot be placed under two different reservation categories for education and employment. The ruling came in response to a petition filed by V Sumitra, a resident of Kollegal taluk in the erstwhile Mysuru district, who challenged the state's classification of the Balajiga/Banajiga community. Justice Suraj Govindaraj, delivering the verdict recently, directed the Karnataka government to uniformly classify the Balajiga/Banajiga community under Group 'B', both for educational and employment purposes. The court observed that the state's existing classification, which places the community under Group 'B' for education (under Article 15(4)) and Group 'D' for employment (under Article 16(4)), was discriminatory and unconstitutional. Sumitra was appointed as a primary school teacher in 1993 under the OBC quota as she claimed her caste belonged to Group 'B'. However, in 1996, she received a notice stating that her community was ...

Parties in J-K slam NC govt for defending reservation policy in high court

Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday slammed the National Conference (NC) government for defending the reservation policy, which provides 70 per cent quota to various groups, in the high court. Jammu and Kashmir's Social Welfare Department has submitted an affidavit in the high court, saying the writ petition is "mischievous" and "frivolous in nature" and has been filed with "an intent to abuse the judicial process". The government has sought dismissal of the petition titled 'Zahoor Ahmad Bhat and others versus UT of J-K and others'. The affidavit comes even as the government has constituted a Cabinet sub-committee, headed by Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo, to look into the issue of reservation after protests over the policy. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA from Pulwama Waheed Para said the Cabinet sub-committee was nothing, but a "facade to mislead" the public. "The J-K government now defends a deeply flawed reservation policy in court. The so-called Cabinet

Religion-based reservation unconstitutional, goes against Ambedkar: RSS

Amid the ongoing debate over the Karnataka government's decision to provide a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts, RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Sunday asserted that the Constitution does not allow religion-based quota. He also said such reservations go against the architect of our Constitution, B R Ambedkar. Addressing reporters here on the concluding day of Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest decision making body of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Hosabale said, "Religion-based reservation is not accepted in the Constitution authored by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Anybody doing it is going against the architect of our Constitution." He also pointed out that previous attempts by United Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to introduce religion-based reservations for Muslims were set aside by the High Courts and Supreme Court. Hosabale emphasised that the courts have rejected provisions for such quota. Responding to a query about the ...

Reserved seats for poor students to be filled up, says Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday told the state assembly that steps will be taken to fill up seats reserved for economically weaker sections in accordance with the Right to Education Act. The leader of the House rose to intervene during a heated exchange of words between the ruling and the opposition members over vacant reserved seats in private educational institutions in Patna. The assembly witnessed members of the RJD, the principal opposition party, entering the well of the House, shouting slogans against what they called "education mafia". The ruckus took place within minutes of the commencement of the day's proceedings, when RJD MLA Lalit Yadav raised the issue of reserved seats, in private educational institutions of Patna, remaining vacant. He also sought district-wise details of such vacant seats and a statement on what steps were being taken. Education Minister Sunil Kumar told the House that remedial steps were being taken by the government but he failed to

Reservation rules: No deadline set for review panel yet, says J&K govt

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday informed the legislative assembly that no specific timeline has been fixed for the three-member cabinet sub-committee, which was formed last year to look into grievances against the present reservation policy in the Union Territory. The information was given by Sakeena Itoo, the minister in-charge social welfare, in a written reply to a starred question by Peoples Conference legislator Sajad Gani Lone in the House. The cabinet sub-committee headed by Itoo with ministers Satish Sharma and Javed Rana as its members was constituted in December last year and is going to submit its report to the council of ministers headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Reservation has become a major issue in Jammu and Kashmir following the Central government's decision to add more communities to the reserved category and expand quotas in the UT over the past five years. There are increasing objections to the Centre's move to push the reservation quota to 70

Bareilly court issues notice to Rahul Gandhi over caste census remark

Initially, the petition was filed in the MP-MLA court, where it was dismissed. However, the petitioner pursued the matter by appealing to the District Judge Court

Deve Gowda urges parliament to reconsider reservation on economic grounds

Former prime minister and JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda on Tuesday called upon Parliament to contemplate whether reservation should continue to be given on the basis of caste or it should be changed to economic criteria. Participating in a discussion on the "Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India" in Rajya Sabha, Deve Gowda said, "The House itself has to apply its mind on what all happened in the past and whether we should give reservation only on the basis of poverty in this country." People are suffering "even with the reservations that we have given in the past and it has not lifted the people who are still suffering for two-square meals a day", he said. The former prime minister said the House should think over whether reservation should be continued to given on the same lines as in the past or "only who are suffering with most poverty" and whose living condition is bad should be given priority. "If the House thinks over and the leaders think over, this can be

Sikkim govt firm on inclusion of 12 left-out communities in ST list: CM

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Sunday said that his government has remained steadfast in advocacy for the inclusion of 12 left-out communities of the Himalayan state in the Scheduled Tribe list. He attended the inaugural meeting of the Sikkim State High-Level Committee, established to secure the inclusion of 12 left-out Sikkimese communities in the ST list under the Constitution of India. Later, in a social media post, he said, "Our government has been unwavering in its advocacy for their inclusion. A landmark resolution passed by the Sikkim Legislative Assembly in January 2021, along with sustained engagements with national policymakers, including the Hon'ble Prime Minister and Home Minister, underscores our dedicated commitment. Encouraging responses have given us confidence that this rightful recognition is within reach." "As we approach Sikkim's 50th statehood anniversary in 2025, addressing this decades-old demand is paramount for achieving true inclusivity and ...

Modi govt firm that there will be no tinkering with quota system: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the Modi government is firm that there will be no tinkering with the current reservation system in the country as he charged the Congress with weakening the quota for SCs, STs and OBCs by giving it to Muslims. Participating in the "Agenda Aaj Tak 2024", he also said the country will be free of the problem of Naxal violence by March 31, 2026. Shah also said the government is talking to both Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur and expects to find a solution to the current situation. "Our government is firm that there will be no tinkering with the current reservation system in the country. It was the Congress which weakened the quota for SCs, STs and OBCs by giving it to Muslims," he said. The home minister further said, "By March 31, 2026, India will be free from the Naxal problem. I strongly believe that. Security forces are working in that direction". The home minister said barring a few districts, Naxal violence has come to an end

Centre issues guidelines for disability reservation to ensure fairness

The Centre has issued comprehensive guidelines to streamline reservation and identification of posts for persons with at least 40 per cent disabilities, mandating periodic identification of such posts and formation of committees to assess them. The guidelines also state that if a post is deemed suitable for them, all subsequent promotional posts will also be reserved for persons with disabilities. The guidelines are in line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016. The move comes after the Delhi High Court flagged inconsistencies in implementation of the the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 and criticised entities like the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) for unauthorised actions in identifying posts. The high court earlier this month observed that KVS had overstepped its authority by independently identifying posts for PwBDs and highlighted inconsistencies in the understanding of the Act among various departments. The court mandated the

PM Modi, Shah spreading lies that Rahul is against reservation: Priyanka

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union minister Amit Shah of spreading lies about her brother Rahul Gandhi that he is against reservation. She said these leaders are scared of Rahul Gandhi because he wants a caste census to be conducted in the country. Addressing a poll rally in the temple town of Shirdi in Ahilyanagar district of Maharashtra, she said projects worth Rs 10 lakh crore were snatched away from Maharashtra. "All of us are proud of Maharashtra. But in this land, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is being insulted...you people are being insulted. All these leaders, including Modi ji, take his (Shivaji Maharaj) name, but they do not respect him," Gandhi alleged. PM laid a foundation for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue but later stopped the work, she said, apparently referring to the warrior king's proposed memorial in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai. "The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj outside Parliame

No one can remove reservation: Kharge reacts to PM Modi's allegation

PM Modi had accused the party of consistently opposing reservation policies and alleged that Congress has the aim to weaken the rights of these groups