{"id":131586,"date":"2024-09-12T16:52:55","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T11:22:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=docs&#038;p=131586"},"modified":"2024-11-12T16:53:56","modified_gmt":"2024-11-12T11:23:56","password":"","slug":"article-15-indian-constitution","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/docs\/article-15-indian-constitution","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Article 15 of the Indian Constitution: Prohibition of Discrimination and Affirmative Action"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Article 15<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the Indian Constitution <\/span><b>prohibits discrimination by the State<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> based on <\/span><b>religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It lays down specific rules to ensure that no citizen faces unfair treatment in various public and private spaces. Article 15 also provides for<\/span><b> special provisions for certain groups<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to advance their social and educational status. This framework is essential for promoting <\/span><b>equality and addressing historical disadvantages.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; color: #ff6600;\"><b>Right to Equality: Article 15 and Its Provisions<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Article 15 &#8211; Prohibition of Discrimination on certain grounds<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Article 15 (1):\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of <\/span><b>religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The two crucial words in this article are<\/span><b> \u2018discrimination\u2019 and \u2018only\u2019.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The term discrimination means to make an<\/span><b> adverse distinction<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with regard to or to distinguish unfavorably from others.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The word \u2018only\u2019 gives <\/span><b>permission to discriminate on the basis of other provisions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, for example, academic basis, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Article 15 (2): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No citizen shall on the grounds only of <\/span><b>religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, or any of them<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, be subject to any disability, liability restriction or condition with regard to &#8211;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access to<\/span><b> shops, public restaurant, hotels, and place of entertainment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The use of<\/span><b> wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s maintained <\/span><b>wholly or partly out of state funds<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or dedicated to the use of the general public.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is to be noted that\u00a0 Article <\/span><b>15(2)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> seeks to prohibit discrimination both by the <\/span><b>State and Private individuals<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> whereas<\/span><b> Article 15(1) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">prohibits discrimination<\/span><b> only by the State<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6725%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 20.0387%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #ff5e00;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Articles\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 132.558%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #ff5e00;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Added in the Constitution\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 20.0387%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><b>Article 15 (1),(2),(3)<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 132.558%; text-align: left; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><b>Original Constitution<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 20.0387%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><b>Article 15 (4)<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 132.558%; text-align: left; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><b>1st <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/udaan\/constitutional-amendment\/\"><b>Constitutional Amendment Act<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,1951 (related to\u00a0 SC, ST communities.)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 20.0387%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><b>Article 15 (5)<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 132.558%; text-align: left; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><b>93rd Constitutional Amendment Act<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,2005 ( related to OBCs)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 20.0387%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><b>Article 15 (6)<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 132.558%; text-align: left; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><b>103rd Constitutional Amendment Act,2019<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (related to people falls under EWS category )<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i><span class=\"vc_button\"><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/i><\/a><i><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Article 15 (3)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Nothing in this article shall prevent the<\/span><b> State from making any special provision for women and children.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article is an<\/span><b> exception to this general rule of non-discrimination<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It means that the <\/span><b>State can make special provisions for women and children.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this regard, the <\/span><b>NALSA v. The Union of India case <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recognizes <\/span><b>transgender as a third Gender.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Union Government has recently proposed a <\/span><b>33% reservation for women in the Parliament and the State Legislatures<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-131593 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-12-170007-1.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"406\" height=\"522\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-12-170007-1.webp 406w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-12-170007-1-233x300.webp 233w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 406px) 100vw, 406px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Article 15 (4):<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nothing in this article or in <\/span><b>clause (2) of article 29 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">shall prevent the State from making any<\/span><b> special provision <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for the advancement of any <\/span><b>socially and educationally backward classes <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of citizens or for the<\/span><b> Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Article 15 (5): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The State is empowered to make any<\/span><b> special provision<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for the advancement of any<\/span><b> socially and educationally backward classes <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of citizens or the<\/span><b> scheduled castes or the scheduled tribes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> regarding their<\/span><b> admission to educational institutions including private educational institutions, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">whether aided or unaided by the State<\/span><b>, except the Minority Educational Institutions.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; color: #ff6600;\"><b>OBC Reservation<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>OBC Reservation in India: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The OBC (Other Backward Classes) reservation in India refers to the <\/span><b>affirmative action policy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by the Indian government to promote the <\/span><b>social and educational <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">development of these historically disadvantaged groups.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Article 15(5) and 93rd Amendment Act of 2005: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>93rd Amendment Act of 2005<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> introduced the aforementioned exception in the form of <\/span><b>Article 15 (5)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To operationalize this provision, the <\/span><b>Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>2006 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was enacted by the Centre.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This legislation mandated a<\/span><b> 27% reservation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for candidates from the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in<\/span><b> central higher educational institutions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including prestigious institutions like the<\/span><b> Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; color: #ff6600;\"><b>Commissions Related to OBCs<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Kalelkar Commission and the Mandal Commission<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are two significant commissions in India that have dealt with the issue of reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs)<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><b>Kalelkar Commission<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Formation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Kalelkar Commission, officially known as the <\/span><b>&#8220;Backward Classes Commission,&#8221;<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was appointed in <\/span><b>1953 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">under the chairmanship of Kaka Kalelkar to determine the criteria for assessing backwardness.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Recommendations: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The commission submitted its report in <\/span><b>1955<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, suggesting the classification of backward classes into<\/span><b> three categories<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013<\/span><b> Backward, More Backward, and Most Backward.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It recommended a certain percentage of reservations for these categories in <\/span><b>educational institutions and government jobs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Mandal Commission<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Formation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Mandal Commission, officially known as the <\/span><b>&#8220;Second Backward Classes Commission,&#8221; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was constituted in<\/span><b> 1978<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> under the chairmanship of B.P. Mandal.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Objective:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The primary goal was to identify the socially and educationally backward classes and recommend measures for their upliftment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Recommendations: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0The <\/span><b>Mandal Commission Report<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> assessed that<\/span><b> 52% <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of the population belonged to the OBC category. The Mandal Commission submitted its report in 1980:<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><b>27%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reservation in<\/span><b> public sector<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>government jobs <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">should be extended to <\/span><b>Other Backward Classes (OBCs).<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This allocation should also apply to <\/span><b>promotions at all stages of public services<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the reserved quota remains unfilled, it should be<\/span><b> carried forward for a duration of three years <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and dereserved after that.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These recommendations were implemented by the government in 1990, leading to significant political and social debates.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Impact of Mandal Commission Report<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government&#8217;s implementation of the Mandal Commission led to widespread protests, with students resorting to self-immolation in opposition to the government&#8217;s intent to enforce it.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Subsequently, the implementation faced a legal challenge in the case of <\/span><b>Indra Sawhney vs Union of India.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Supreme Court Ruling in Indira Sawhney Case<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>27% OBC Reservations: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Indira Sawhney case, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/supreme-court\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supreme Court<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> deemed the<\/span><b> 27% reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) constitutionally valid<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> but imposed specific conditions.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>Reservation Cap:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The court ruled that the reservation should not exceed the 50% cap except in some extraordinary situations. <\/span><b>This rule should be applied every year.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>Exclusion of Promotions: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court specified that the reservation policy should not be extended to promotions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>&#8216;Creamy Layer&#8217; Concept:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The concept of the <\/span><b>&#8220;creamy layer&#8221; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was introduced by the court, aiming to <\/span><b>exclude affluent individuals<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from the OBC community.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>Carry-Forward Rule and 50% Ceiling<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: the court emphasized that the carry-forward rule, which fills unoccupied vacancies in the subsequent year, should <\/span><b>not breach the 50% ceiling.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Establishment of a Permanent Statutory Body:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A permanent statutory<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">body should be established<\/span><b> to examine complaints regarding the OBC list<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>National Commission for Backward Classes<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The Parliament <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">enacted the National Commission for Backward Classes Act,1993, and constituted the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/national-commission-for-backward-classes-ncbc\/\"><b>National Commission for Backward Classes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (NCBC)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>102nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2018 <\/b>provided constitutional status to the NCBC and enlarged its functions.\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This amendment inserted a <\/span><b>new Article 338-B <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in the Constitution.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Criteria for &#8216;Creamy Layer&#8217; Classification<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Individuals from the following groups are classified as part of the &#8216;creamy layer&#8217; among OBCs and are <\/span><b>therefore ineligible for quota benefits<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Constitutional Positions: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Individuals occupying constitutional positions such as the President, Vice-President, Supreme Court and High Court Judges, Chairpersons and Members of UPSC and SPSCs, the Chief Election Commissioner, the Comptroller, and Auditor General, among others.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Government and Public Sector Services: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those serving in<\/span><b> Group &#8216;A&#8217;\/Class I and Group &#8216;B&#8217;\/Class II in All India, Central, and State services<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, along with employees in equivalent roles in Public Sector Undertakings, Banks, Insurance Companies, Universities, and in the private sector.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Military and Paramilitary Personnel:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Army personnel ranked Colonel and above, and their equivalents in the Navy, Air Force, and Paramilitary Forces.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Professionals:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Like doctors, lawyers, engineers, artists, authors, and consultants.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Business and Trade Involvement: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Individuals involved in trade, business, and industry.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Agricultural and Urban Property:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> People owning agricultural land exceeding a specified limit and those possessing vacant land or buildings in urban areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Income and Wealth Criteria:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Those with a gross annual income exceeding <\/span><b>\u20b98 lakh or owning wealth above the exemption limit<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Notably, the \u201ccreamy layer\u201d income threshold has been revised multiple times: from \u20b91 lakh in 1993, to \u20b92.5 lakh in 2004, \u20b94.5 lakh in 2008, \u20b96 lakh in 2013, and \u20b98 lakh in 2017.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-131592 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/unnamed-26-1.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"910\" height=\"819\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/unnamed-26-1.webp 910w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/unnamed-26-1-300x270.webp 300w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/unnamed-26-1-768x691.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b> Rohini Commission for Sub Categorisation of OBCs:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Establishment:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It was established on October 2, 2017, under<\/span><b> Article 340<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/basic-structure-doctrine\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Constitution<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which grants the <\/span><b>President <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the authority to appoint a Commission to investigate the conditions of backward classes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Findings of 2018 Review:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In 2018, a review of<\/span><b> 1.3 lakh central government jobs <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and OBC admissions in higher education showed that<\/span><b> 97%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of reservation advantages were concentrated within <\/span><b>25% <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of OBC castes.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nearly <\/span><b>983 OBC communities<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, making up <\/span><b>37% <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of the total, had no representation in jobs and education, underscoring the necessity for<\/span><b> sub-categorization<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Submission of Rohini Commission Report:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Commission headed by Justice G. Rohini, tasked with <\/span><b>sub-categorizing Other Backward Classes (OBC) caste groups<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, has finally submitted its awaited report to the <\/span><b>Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">after nearly six years of dedicated work.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the specific recommendations remain undisclosed at this point, the government is anticipated to carefully review the report before any potential implementation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Article 15 (6): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The State is empowered to make<\/span><b> any special provision for the advancement of any Economically Weaker Sections <\/b><b>(EWS)<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of citizens.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>103rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 2019: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">added\u00a0 the aforementioned <\/span><b>Article 15(6),<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> leading to the central government&#8217;s issuance of an order in 2019.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This order grants a <\/span><b>10%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reservation to <\/span><b>Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in educational institution admissions.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Individuals eligible for this reservation are those from EWSs not covered under existing reservation schemes for<\/span><b> SCs, STs, and OBCs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Some of the specified <\/span><b>eligibility criteria<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are as follows:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Eligibility Criteria<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Individuals with a family gross annual income below <\/span><b>\u20b98 lakh<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> qualify as EWSs for reservation benefits.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Income Criteria: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This income encompasses earnings from<\/span><b> all sources<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, such as salary, agriculture, business, and profession, and pertains to the financial year preceding the year of application .<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Asset Exemptions from EWS Identification:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Individuals with family ownership or possession of any of the following assets are exempt from <\/span><b>EWS identification, regardless of family income<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>5 acres<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of agricultural land and above.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Residential flat of <\/span><b>1000 sq.ft.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and above.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Residential plot of<\/span><b> 100 sq.yards<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and above in notified municipalities.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Residential plot of <\/span><b>200 sq.yards<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and above in areas other than notified municipalities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Property Holding Test: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The property held by a family in different cities\/locations would be <\/span><b>clubbed together<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the property holding test to determine EWS status<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Definition of Family:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Family for this purpose would include the person seeking reservation, his\/her parents, his\/her spouse, siblings <\/span><b>below the age of 18 years <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and his\/her minor children.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><b>Note : Article<\/b> <b>15 (4), 15 (5),15 (6) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are exceptions to the general rule of non discrimination under Article 15 (1).<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;\"><b>Relation Between Article 14 and 15<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #ff5e00;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b>Aspect<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #ff5e00;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b>Article 14<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #ff5e00;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b>Article 15<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><b>Principle<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>General principle of equality<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for all persons within the territory of India<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Specific application of equality principles to prevent discrimination based on <\/span><b>religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><b>Objective<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensures <\/span><b>every individual is treated equally<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before the law<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prevents discrimination and allows for <\/span><b>affirmative action<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to address historical injustices<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><b>Scope<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Broad, covering all individuals<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Detailed, covering specific grounds and providing for special provisions<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><b>Function<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lays the <\/span><b>foundational principle of equality<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Extends the principle<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by detailing grounds for discrimination and allowing affirmative action<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><b>Relationship<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forms the<\/span><b> core principle of equalit<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">y and is fundamental to the rule of law<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acts as an <\/span><b>extension of Article 14<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, addressing specific instances of discrimination and promoting <\/span><b>social justice<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><b>Impact<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishes the <\/span><b>baseline for equality and fairness <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in legal treatment<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Implements specific measures to ensure <\/span><b>equality and address historical disadvantages<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<table style=\"width: 99.5564%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8; width: 100%;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Punjab and Haryana High Court<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> declared the <\/span><b>Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as \u2018unconstitutional\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This act provides <\/span><b>75% reservation to locals in the private sector <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for jobs having a salary of less than \u20b930,000 per month.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The High Court termed the Act as <\/span><b>\u2018violative of Part\u00a0 <\/b><b>III<\/b><b> of the Constitution of India\u2019<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i><span class=\"vc_button\"><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/i><\/a><i><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6118%; height: 120px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 368.438%; height: 30px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #ff5e00; text-align: center;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b>Must Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 50.1117%; text-align: center; height: 30px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/\"><b>Current Affairs<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 318.326%; text-align: center; height: 30px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\"><b>Editorial Analysis<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 50.1117%; text-align: center; height: 30px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\"><b>Upsc Notes\u00a0<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 318.326%; text-align: center; height: 30px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/blogs\/\"><b>Upsc Blogs\u00a0<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 50.1117%; text-align: center; height: 30px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/ncert-notes\/\"><b>NCERT Notes<\/b><\/a><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 318.326%; text-align: center; height: 30px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-answer-writing\/\"><b>Free Main Answer Writing<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In essence, Article 15 builds on the<\/span><b> general principle of equality<\/b> <b>enshrined in Article 14<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, offering specific protections against discrimination.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It allows for <\/span><b>affirmative action<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to support disadvantaged groups while maintaining a broad prohibition against unjust treatment.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The interplay between <\/span><b>Articles 14 and 15 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ensures a balanced approach to achieving equality and justice in society.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><i>Sign up for the<\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <b><i>PWOnlyIAS Online Course by Physics Wallah<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i> and start your journey to IAS success today!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.2297%; height: 90px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 132.523%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #ff5e00; text-align: center; height: 30px;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b>Related Articles\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 49.8343%; text-align: center; height: 30px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/national-commission-for-backward-classes-ncbc\/\">National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC)<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82.6888%; text-align: center; height: 30px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/udaan\/constitutional-amendment\/\">Major Constitutional Amendments<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 49.8343%; text-align: center; height: 30px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/supreme-court\/\">Supreme Court<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82.6888%; text-align: center; height: 30px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/basic-structure-doctrine\/\">ESSENCE OF INDIAN CONSTITUTION: BASIC STRUCTURE DOCTRINE UNBOUND<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Examine Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, which forbids discrimination on the basis of certain grounds and allows affirmative action to benefit underrepresented groups, in order to better prepare for the UPSC Exam.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"doc_category":[122],"doc_tag":[5761],"acf":[],"year_month":"2026-04","word_count":1971,"total_views":0,"reactions":{"happy":0,"normal":0,"sad":0},"author_info":{"name":"Priyanka","author_nicename":"priyanka6","author_url":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/author\/priyanka6"},"doc_category_info":[{"term_name":"INDIAN POLITY","term_url":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/docs-category\/indian-polity"}],"doc_tag_info":[{"term_name":"Fundamental Rights","term_url":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/docs-tag\/fundamental-rights"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/131586"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/docs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131586"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/131586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":142398,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/131586\/revisions\/142398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"doc_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_category?post=131586"},{"taxonomy":"doc_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_tag?post=131586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}