Reservation and equal opportunity
Articles 15 and 16: backward classes, creamy layer and limits.
15 of the 27 judgments in our library on this topic: the ones other judgments here cite most, oldest first.
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Start: State of Madras v. Champakam DorairajanYour progress is kept in this browser. Sign in to keep it on every device and count it in your reading streak.
9 April 1951 · 7 judges
State of Madras v. Champakam DorairajanThe Communal G.O. allotting seats in State medical and engineering colleges by religion and caste violated Article 29(2) and was void under Article 13; directive principles cannot override fundamental rights.
On this path for: Article 16(4), Constitution; Reservation in admissions
10 March 1954 · 5 judges · cited by 1 judgment in this library
Yusuf Abdul Aziz v. State of BombayThe last sentence of Section 497 IPC, which exempts the wife from punishment as an abettor of adultery, is a special provision for women saved by Article 15(3) and does not violate Articles 14 and 15.
On this path for: Article 15(3), Constitution
30 August 1962 · 6 judges · cited by 2 judgments in this library
Rev. Sidhajbhai Sabhai v. State of BombayGovernment orders reserving 80% of seats in a Christian minority's teacher training college for government-nominated teachers, enforced by threats to withhold grant and recognition, infringed the absolute right of minorities under Article 30(1).
On this path for: Reservation of seats
23 November 1973 · 5 judges · cited by 4 judgments in this library
E.P. Royappa v. State of Tamil NaduThe Court dismissed an IAS officer's challenge to his transfer from the post of Chief Secretary, Tamil Nadu; the three-judge opinion held that Articles 14 and 16 strike at arbitrariness, but arbitrariness and mala fides were not proved.
On this path for: Article 16, Constitution
16 November 1992 · 9 judges · cited by 3 judgments in this library
Indra Sawhney v. Union of IndiaThe Court upheld 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes under Article 16(4) subject to exclusion of the creamy layer, set a normal 50% limit, barred reservation in promotions prospectively, and struck down the 10% economic quota.
On this path for: Article 16(1), (2) and (4), Constitution; Article 15(4), Constitution; Reservation in public employment
13 August 1997 · 3 judges · cited by 3 judgments in this library
Vishaka v. State of RajasthanIn the absence of legislation, the Court laid down binding guidelines and norms to prevent sexual harassment of women at all work places, reading international conventions such as CEDAW into Articles 14, 15, 19(1)(g) and 21.
On this path for: Article 15, Constitution
28 September 2001 · 5 judges · cited by 1 judgment in this library
Danial Latifi v. Union of IndiaThe Court upheld the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, reading Section 3(1)(a) to require the husband to make, within the iddat period, a reasonable and fair provision for the divorced wife's future, not limited to iddat.
On this path for: Article 15, Constitution
5 November 2004 · 5 judges · cited by 1 judgment in this library
E.V. Chinnaiah v. State of Andhra PradeshThe Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Act, 2000, which split the Presidential List of Scheduled Castes into four groups with separate quotas, was beyond State legislative competence and violated Article 14.
On this path for: Article 15(4), Constitution; Article 16(4), Constitution; Reservation
11 December 2013 · 2 judges · cited by 1 judgment in this library
Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz FoundationThe Court set aside the Delhi High Court's declaration that Section 377 IPC was unconstitutional as applied to consensual sexual acts of adults in private, holding the section free of constitutional infirmity and leaving change to Parliament.
On this path for: Article 15, Constitution
15 April 2014 · 2 judges · cited by 1 judgment in this library
National Legal Services Authority v. Union of IndiaHijras and eunuchs must be treated as a 'third gender'; transgender persons have the right to decide their self-identified gender under Articles 14, 15, 16, 19(1)(a) and 21, and governments must legally recognise it and give them affirmative action.
On this path for: Article 15, Constitution; Article 16, Constitution
6 May 2014 · 5 judges · cited by 1 judgment in this library
Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust v. Union of IndiaArticle 15(5) and Article 21A do not violate the basic structure and are valid; the Right to Education Act, 2009 is valid against private unaided schools but cannot apply to minority schools, aided or unaided.
On this path for: Article 15(5), Constitution
13 July 2016 · 5 judges · cited by 2 judgments in this library
Nabam Rebia and Bamang Felix v. Deputy Speaker, Arunachal Pradesh Legislative AssemblyThe Governor's order preponing the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly session and his message fixing its agenda, issued without the Council of Ministers' aid and advice, were unconstitutional; consequent Assembly decisions were set aside and the status quo ante restored.
On this path for: Article 163, Constitution
11 October 2017 · 2 judges · cited by 1 judgment in this library
Independent Thought v. Union of IndiaException 2 to Section 375 IPC was read down so that sexual intercourse by a man with his wife who is below 18 years of age is rape; the question of marital rape of adult women was left open.
On this path for: Article 15(3), Constitution
6 September 2018 · 5 judges · cited by 1 judgment in this library
Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of IndiaSection 377 IPC, insofar as it criminalises consensual sexual acts between adults in private, violates Articles 14, 15, 19 and 21 and is read down; Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz Foundation is overruled.
On this path for: Article 15, Constitution
1 August 2024 · 7 judges
State of Punjab v. Davinder SinghThe State may sub-classify the Scheduled Castes for reservation under Articles 15(4) and 16(4) on a rational principle supported by data on inadequate representation; E.V. Chinnaiah v. State of Andhra Pradesh was overruled.
On this path for: Article 15(4), Constitution; Article 16(1) and 16(4), Constitution; Reservation
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