Supreme Court will start daily hearings on Madhya Pradesh’s 27% OBC reservation case from October 8, amid controversy over total quotas and under-representation of Other Backward Classes.
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BHOPAL: The OBC reservation issue in Madhya Pradesh is raising strong reactions as the Supreme Court prepares to begin day-to-day hearings on October 8 regarding the state’s move to grant 27% reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The decision comes amid a social media storm over the alleged reliance on a 42-year-old commission report citing mythology and history to justify additional safeguards for OBCs.
The Controversy: Ramji Mahajan Commission Report
The state government has defended itself, saying it merely referenced the Ramji Mahajan Commission report of 1983, submitted to the Congress government of the time, rather than including it directly in its affidavit to the Supreme Court. The 1,265-page report has recently been circulating on social media, with claims that it cites episodes from the Ramayan and Mahabharat, including Shambook and Ekalavya, to justify enhanced OBC quotas.
Officials have clarified that the state did not mechanically adopt the commission’s recommendation of 35% OBC quota; the current quota is 27%. They have also confirmed that selective circulation of the report out of context is being investigated, with “appropriate action” promised.
The Quota Battle: Exceeding the 50% Ceiling
Madhya Pradesh’s decision to grant 27% OBC reservation, combined with existing quotas, pushes total reservation well beyond the Supreme Court’s 50% ceiling. The state argues that “extraordinary circumstances” justify this breach, pointing to surveys, commission findings, and administrative data indicating under-representation of OBCs in services and public life. OBCs and tribals together make up almost 50% of the state’s population.
The amended reservation matrix is as follows:
- Scheduled Tribes (ST): 20%
- Scheduled Castes (SC): 16%
- OBC: 27%
- Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): 10%
This brings total reservations to 73%, raising a constitutional question: can a state justify crossing the 50% cap with contemporary, credible evidence of under-representation?
Timeline
- 2019: Kamal Nath government increased OBC quota from 14% to 27%, stayed by the MP High Court citing 50% ceiling.
- September 2021: The BJP government permitted 27% OBC reservation.
- May 2022: A petition filed in the MP High Court stayed the implementation.
- August 2023: The “87:13 mechanism” was introduced, 87% of advertised posts declared, 13% on hold pending final decision.
- 2024: All pending petitions (70) transferred from High Court to Supreme Court. Recruitment continues under the 87:13 formula.
13% Undecided Seats
Until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict, the 87:13 formula remains in effect. Of the 13% posts kept on hold, half are notionally for OBCs and half for the general category. This ensures that whichever way the Court rules, final allocations can be adjusted without cancelling entire recruitments.
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Since 2019, over 35 recruitment drives have been interrupted, affecting around 8 lakh aspirants. About 3.2 lakh selected candidates are awaiting joining orders. While the state has filled 29,000 posts since the 2023 Assembly elections, 1,04,000 vacancies remain.
With daily hearings starting October 8, the Supreme Court will scrutinize whether Madhya Pradesh has sufficient evidence to cross a constitutional Rubicon and, more importantly, whether lakhs of stalled appointments can finally be processed.