| ASPECTS | DETAILS |
| Case Title | Deependra Yadav and others vs. State of Madhya Pradesh and others |
| Introduction | The Supreme Court ruled that meritorious candidates from reserved categories, who did not avail of reservation benefits, should be treated as general-category candidates based on their merit. |
| Factual Background | The Madhya Pradesh State Service Examination Rules, 2015, were amended to adjust and segregate meritorious candidates from reserved categories with those from the general category. This change impacted the allocation of reserved category slots. |
| Legal Issues | Interpretation of whether meritorious candidates from reserved categories, who did not use reservation benefits, should be treated as general category candidates. |
| Applicable Law | The court relied on the principle that candidates from vertical reservation categories can be selected in the open category based on merit, without counting against the quota reserved for their categories. |
| Analysis | The court found that the amendment to the rules harmed the interests of reserved category candidates, as it prevented deserving candidates lower down the merit list from benefiting from reserved category slots. |
| Conclusion | The court affirmed the decision of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, ruling that meritorious candidates from reserved categories, who did not avail reservation benefits, should be treated as general-category candidates based on their marks. |
| Current Scenario | The State of Madhya Pradesh restored Rule 4 of the Madhya Pradesh State Service Examination Rules, 2015, as it was before the amendment, to ensure the segregation of meritorious reserved category candidates with meritorious unreserved category candidates at the preliminary examination stage. |
CASE SUMMARY – The Supreme Court ruled that meritorious candidates from reserved categories, who did not use reservation benefits, should be treated as general category candidates based on their merit. The court found that the amendment to the Madhya Pradesh State Service Examination Rules, 2015, which prevented such treatment, harmed the interests of reserved category candidates. The State of Madhya Pradesh restored the rules to ensure the segregation of meritorious reserved category candidates with meritorious unreserved category candidates at the preliminary examination stage, allowing more reserved category candidates to clear the preliminary examination.
SOURCE – SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
Read Also–CALCUTTA HC DENIES BAIL TO EX-WB MINISTER IN CASH-FOR-JOBS SCAM
