In Brief
Tamil Nadu sought Supreme Court directions to implement Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation in medical seats contributed to the All India Quota by the State in the 2020–2021 academic year. The High Court had acknowledged that OBC reservation could constitutionally be extended to these seats but directed that implementation should occur only from the next academic year (2021–2022) after a committee worked out modalities in consultation with the Centre and other States. The Supreme Court affirmed this decision, holding that the admission process, having commenced in December 2019 and reached an advanced counselling stage, could not be disrupted mid-stream. Implementing the new reservation policy immediately would require candidates from other states (unaware of the change) to be re-informed and the entire selection process to be redone, causing unjustifiable prejudice. The Court rejected the request for interim relief.
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