Supreme Court Seeks Maharashtra’s Data on Local Bodies Breaching 50% Reservation Cap
The Supreme Court of India has once again turned its attention to the contentious issue of reservation in Maharashtra’s local bodies. During a hearing on a contempt petition, the Court directed the State to provide a complete list of all local bodies where the total reservation—covering Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC)—exceeds the 50% constitutional ceiling. This order comes amid preparations for upcoming elections and ongoing disputes about the implementation of the Court’s earlier directions, particularly the 2021 “triple test” requirement. Background: Contempt Petition and the 2021 Triple Test Judgment The current proceedings arise from a contempt petition alleging that Maharashtra failed to comply with the Supreme Court’s 2021 ruling. That judgment mandated that any OBC reservation in local bodies must satisfy a three-step test , now widely known as the "triple test": Establish a dedicated commission to conduct a conte...