OBC Reservation In AIQ Permissible, EWS Not Without SC Approval: Madras High Court

Inclusion of 10 per cent vertical reservation for EWS would require approval of Supreme Court and to such extent, the reservation for EWS in centre’s July 29 notification has to be recognized as impermissible till such approval is obtained, the Madras High Court said, according to Live Law.

Provision of 27 reservation in Medical seats for OBC students under the All India Quota (AIQ) may be permissible, but extending 10 per cent reservation to AIQ seats for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) is not permissible without approval from the Supreme Court of India, the Madras High Court has said. The court on Wednesday pronounced judgment in the contempt plea filed by the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) over OBC reservation in all India medical seats. Inclusion of 10 per cent vertical reservation for EWS would require approval of Supreme Court and to such extent, the reservation for EWS in centre’s July 29 notification has to be recognized as impermissible till such approval is obtained, the Madras High Court said, according to Live Law. Reservation extended to other categories – OBC, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, PwD – in AIQ medical seats appear to be in order. But EWS reservation in the centre’s cannot be permitted with approval of SC, it added. The Centre on July 29 extended 27 per cent EWS and 10 per cent EWS reservation to all medical seats of the central pool.