Claims of SCs and STs to services
Also called: Article 335 · Topic: Safeguards for Vulnerable Sections: SCs, STs, OBCs, Minorities, Women and Children · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Article 335 says the claims of SCs and STs to posts in the Union and state services must be considered. These claims must be balanced with "maintenance of efficiency of administration". This means reservation in jobs must not harm how well the government works. The 82nd Constitutional Amendment Act 2000 added a proviso to it. The proviso allows relaxed qualifying marks and lower evaluation standards for SCs and STs in matters of promotion.
Example
In the M. Nagaraj case (2006), the Supreme Court said a state giving SC/ST promotion quotas must show data on overall efficiency. This links the quota directly to Article 335. Jarnail Singh (2018) kept the need for data on inadequate representation and efficiency, but dropped the need to prove SC/ST backwardness.
Don't confuse with
- Article 16(4): this gives the power to reserve posts for backward classes. Article 335 does not give that power. It sets a condition, efficiency, on how SC/ST claims are met.
Related concepts
- Reservation in promotion
- 77th Constitutional Amendment Act 1995
- Catch-up rule
- Consequential seniority
- 82nd Constitutional Amendment Act 2000
- M. Nagaraj case
- Jarnail Singh case
- E.V. Chinnaiah case
- Davinder Singh case
- Sub-classification of Scheduled Castes