In Brief
A woman employed as a Junior Assistant against a reserved Scheduled Caste position submitted a caste certificate claiming membership in that community. In 2011, upon discovering discrepancies in her educational records and learning she was actually born into a Brahmin family, authorities cancelled her certificate. Though she claimed to have acquired Scheduled Caste status through marriage, the Supreme Court upheld the cancellation, holding that marriage to a Scheduled Caste member does not confer reservation benefits without demonstrating social, economic and educational disabilities. The Court affirmed her dismissal, overruling earlier precedents requiring proof of dishonest intent, emphasizing that invalid caste claims must be withdrawn to protect genuine candidates and maintain integrity of the reservation system.
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