The Karnataka High Court has ruled that the same community cannot be assigned different reservation categories for education and employment, calling the practice unconstitutional.
Justice Suraj Govindaraj, in a recent order, directed the state government to uniformly classify the Balajiga/Banajiga community under Group ‘B’ across both sectors.
“The same community cannot be placed in different groups depending on the context — such a division is inherently discriminatory,” the court stated.
Petitioner Denied Job Quota Despite OBC Certificate
The verdict came in a petition filed by V. Sumitra, a government school teacher appointed in 1993 under the OBC quota (Group ‘B’). In 1996, she was told her community fell under Group ‘D’ for employment, invalidating her job quota eligibility.
After failed appeals, she discovered a 1986 state notification showing the dual classification, and challenged the inconsistency in court.
Affirmative Action Must Be Consistent: Court
Justice Govindaraj noted that such dual categorisation violates Articles 14, 15, and 16 of the Constitution, which provide for equal treatment and reservation benefits for backward communities.
“If a community is identified as backward for education, it cannot be treated differently for employment,” the court said, calling the state’s classification “void ab initio.”
The court quashed the earlier orders denying Sumitra her quota benefits and directed the state to continue her employment under Group ‘B’ reservation.
The ruling is expected to influence how Karnataka and other states handle community classifications in reservation policies.
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