Full Breakdown
Madhya Pradesh High Court Restores OBC Reservation to 14 % After Striking Down 27 % Quota
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Decision
On October 9, 2026, a Division Bench of Justices Anand Pathak and Vinay Saraf ruled that Madhya Pradesh’s 2019 amendment raising Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation in public employment and higher education from 14 % to 27 % was unconstitutional. The court held that the State had not demonstrated any extraordinary circumstances required to breach the Supreme Court-mandated 50 % ceiling on total reservations. Consequently, the earlier 14 % quota was reinstated.
The bench also ordered the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission, the Employees’ Selection Board and other recruiting agencies to fill the 13 % of posts that had been held pending the litigation, from the unreserved category within three months.
Background & Context
The increase to 27 % was introduced by an ordinance on March 8, 2019 under the Kamal Nath government and became law on August 14, 2019. After the Congress government fell in March 2020, successive BJP administrations continued to defend the amendment while petitions challenging its constitutionality proceeded through the courts.
Data & Statistics
- A 2023 study cited by the bench found OBCs accounted for 33.87 % of enrolment in higher education, well above the 14 % reservation.
- The same study reported OBCs held 28.16 % of government positions, compared with 17.58 % for Scheduled Castes and 17.99 % for Scheduled Tribes.
- The court noted that OBC candidates appointed between March 2019 and September 29, 2022 under the enhanced quota would retain their posts; appointments made after that date were to be treated as null and void to the extent they exceeded the 14 % ceiling.
Official Statements & Responses
Advocate General Prashant Singh argued that the amendment sought to address persistent vacancies in OBC-reserved posts. The bench emphasized that vacancy levels alone could not justify exceeding the constitutional ceiling.
Prahlad Patel, Madhya Pradesh’s Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister, said the decision reflected “constitutional flaws” in the 2019 ordinance and that the state would appeal the judgment.
Criticism & Opposition
Kamal Nath, former Chief Minister and Congress leader, accused the BJP of undermining OBC interests through a weak court case.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All sources consistently report the court’s reasoning, the restored 14 % quota, and the three-month deadline for filling the pending 13 % of posts. No substantive numerical discrepancies were identified.
Verbatim Quote
- “Due to the government’s weak advocacy and providing half-baked information, the Hon’ble High Court has cancelled the 27% reservation for OBCs… the BJP has stabbed the OBC community in the back by presenting a weak case in court,” — Kamal Nath
What’s Next
The Madhya Pradesh government will file an appeal with the Supreme Court, maintaining that the 27 % reservation is essential for OBC representation. OBC advocacy groups have pledged to challenge the High Court’s order in the apex court and to organize statewide agitations. The three-month timeline for filling the 13 % of unreserved posts is expected to conclude by early 2027, after which recruitment agencies must report compliance to the court.