The Madhya Pradesh Government has told the Supreme Court that its decision to enhance reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from 14% to 27% is not only justified but a “constitutionally mandated corrective step.” In an affidavit filed on September 23, the State asserted that backward groups collectively form over 85% of the population but continue to remain socially and educationally disadvantaged, reported LiveLaw.
According to the affidavit, Census 2011 records Scheduled Castes (SCs) at 15.6%, Scheduled Tribes (STs) at 21.1%, and OBCs at more than 51%. A 2022 report of the Madhya Pradesh OBC Commission confirmed that OBCs alone constitute over half of the State’s population. Together, these disadvantaged communities make up more than 87% of residents, yet OBCs were “earlier restricted to only 14% reservation, which was wholly disproportionate to their demographic share.”
The State referred to the Indra Sawhney ruling of 1992, and said that it held that the 50% ceiling on reservations could be exceeded in “extraordinary circumstances” such as overwhelming backwardness and regional disparities, report said. “The case of Madhya Pradesh falls squarely within these exceptional situations,” the affidavit stated.
The Madhya Pradesh Lok Seva (Reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes) Act, 1994 was amended in 2019 to raise the OBC quota to 27%. However, in 2022, the High Court passed an interim order capping it at 14% and staying the December 2019 Rules. The petitions challenging the amendment were transferred to the Supreme Court in 2024, but the top court did not lift the High Court’s interim directions. The matter is now listed for final hearing on October 8, 2025, before a bench of Justices PS Narasimha and AS Chandurkar.
Currently, SCs enjoy 16% and STs 20% reservation in Madhya Pradesh. Adding 27% OBC quota and the 10% EWS quota would raise the total reservation to 73%, crossing the ceiling fixed by the Supreme Court.
The affidavit stressed that despite constituting nearly half the State’s population, OBCs suffer “entrenched and multi-dimensional backwardness” — educational, social, economic, and political — resulting in systemic exclusion and poor representation in higher State services. The Madhya Pradesh OBC Commission’s findings noted persistent discrimination, including caste-based ostracism and denial of access to public spaces, according to LiveLaw.
Economically too, the affidavit said, backward classes continue to suffer from debt bondage, displacement due to industrialization, and near absence in medium or large-scale enterprises. The government argued that these “structural barriers” necessitate affirmative action beyond conventional limits.
LiveLaw reported that the State also drew attention to the Mahajan Commission’s recommendations of 1980, which after a survey had suggested 35% OBC reservation in jobs and education. Though the 1994 Act initially fixed the quota at 14%, subsequent reports of the Madhya Pradesh Backward Classes Commission between 1996 and 2001 repeatedly pressed for an increase to between 27% and 35%. Acting on these findings, the State brought in an Ordinance in 2019, later enacted into law, raising the quota to 27%.
The affidavit additionally referred to a 2023 socio-economic study by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Social Sciences University highlighting continued disadvantages faced by OBCs: caste segregation, low educational levels, economic vulnerability, and weak political voice.
The State further submitted that the High Court’s interim order has resulted in a stalemate, with recruitment in multiple departments stalled since 2022. “Over 4,700 posts” in the Public Service Commission and Employee Selection Board remain vacant, causing “irreparable injury” to the State, it said, urging the apex court to allow appointments under the 27% quota pending final adjudication.
With inputs from LiveLaw
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
