Madhya Pradesh OBC reservation legal dispute

The Jabalpur High Court struck down a 2019 ordinance in Madhya Pradesh that attempted to increase Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation from 14 percent to 27 percent. The court ruled that no special circumstances justified exceeding the 50 percent total reservation limit established by Supreme Court precedents. While the court protected selections made under the 27 percent quota between September 2019 and September 2022, it limited the current OBC reservation to 14 percent and ordered that 13 percent of held positions be filled from the unreserved category within three months.

The ruling sparked political tension, with the current administration accusing the previous government of issuing the ordinance for political gain and the Congress party alleging a failure to protect OBC interests.

In response, the Madhya Pradesh government filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav stated the administration is seeking a “logical and just legal solution” to protect OBC interests. Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition has urged the state to consider constitutional remedies, such as requesting the central government to include OBC reservation provisions in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.