MP News: Supreme Court Returns 27% OBC Quota Cases To HC With 2-Month Deadline

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Supreme Court of India, on Thursday, returned all cases related to 27% OBC reservation to Madhya Pradesh High Court. Two months’ time has been given to HC for disposal of cases.

Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj informed the court that State Government was in favour of sending cases back to High Court. This was seen as a significant change in State Government’s stance, as these were originally State transfer petitions.

It was Subham Gautam and others vs Madhya Pradesh petition related to implementation of 2019 law providing 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Madhya Pradesh. On Thursday, SC clearly stated that High Court will now have final say on the matter.

The law was passed by State Assembly in 2019. It provided for increasing reservation for OBC in government jobs and educational institutions from 14% to 27%.

Petitioners are primarily candidates of Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission. They complained to SC that despite law not prohibiting recruitment, State Government and MPPSC have withheld 13% posts in recruitments announced over past several years. These posts have not yet been filled.

The petition demands that recruitment process be completed by implementing 27% OBC reservation as required by law for these withheld posts.

Senior advocate Varun Thakur and Rameshwar Thakur, who appeared in SC on behalf of petitioners, said, “SC has returned all cases related to 27 per cent OBC reservations to HC and given two months’ time for disposal.”