Indian Polity & Governance·Landmark Judgments

Reservation in Legislature — Landmark Judgments

Updated 6 Mar 2026

Landmark Judgments

Indra Sawhney & Others v. Union of India (1992) (Mandal Commission Case)

1992

While primarily dealing with reservation in public employment (Article 16(4)), this nine-judge bench judgment laid down fundamental principles governing reservation policy in…

M. Nagaraj & Others v. Union of India (2006)

2006

This five-judge Constitution Bench judgment revisited the principles laid down in Indra Sawhney, specifically in the context of reservation in promotion for SCs/STs. It affirmed…

Jarnail Singh v. Lachhmi Narain Gupta (2018)

2018

This judgment, while again focused on reservation in promotion, is significant for clarifying the 'creamy layer' concept for SC/STs. It held that the creamy layer principle is…