MP High Court strikes down 27% OBC quota: appointments up to September 29, 2022 stand, later appointments capped at 14%

A division bench of Justices Anand Pathak and Vinay Saraf of the Madhya Pradesh High Court's Jabalpur bench on October 9, 2026 struck down the 2019 law raising OBC reservation from 14% to 27% as unconstitutional, holding that the state had shown no exceptional circumstances to breach the Supreme Court's 50% ceiling on quotas. On the fate of appointments already made, the court protected appointments made up to September 29, 2022 under the amended law; appointments made after that date are valid only to the extent of 87%, with the remaining 13% of posts to be filled from the unreserved list, and OBC appointments exceeding 14% made after the cut-off date were declared null and void. The court directed the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission and the Employees Selection Board to implement the order within three months. Sources: Hindustan Times, Free Press Journal (Hindustan Times, Freepressjournal)

• A division bench of Justices Anand Pathak and Vinay Saraf of the Madhya Pradesh High Court's Jabalpur bench on October 9, 2026 struck down the 2019 law raising OBC reservation from 14% to 27% as unconstitutional, holding
• On the fate of appointments already made, the court protected appointments made up to September 29, 2022 under the amended law; appointments made after that date are valid only to the extent of 87%, with the remaining 13
• The court directed the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission and the Employees Selection Board to implement the order within three months.