UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — The challenge to not breach the limit

Question 1

The constitutional ceiling of 50% on total reservations, whose breach forced Karnataka to revise its quota matrix before the 2026 recruitment of 56,432 posts, was formally laid down by the Supreme Court in which one of the following cases?

Accepted Answer

Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992)

Answer

M.R. Balaji v. State of Mysore (1962)

Answer

E.V. Chinnaiah v. State of Andhra Pradesh (2004)

Answer

State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh (2024)

Question 2

Which one of the following was the earliest Supreme Court ruling that first indicated that reservations should ordinarily not exceed 50% — the principle later crystallised as a binding cap?

Accepted Answer

M.R. Balaji v. State of Mysore (1962)

Answer

State of Madras v. Champakam Dorairajan (1951)

Answer

Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992)

Answer

M. Nagaraj v. Union of India (2006)

Question 3

In State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh (2024) — the ruling that enabled Karnataka to design internal sub-classification within its 15% SC quota — what was the strength of the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court that delivered the judgment?

Accepted Answer

Seven judges

Answer

Five judges

Answer

Nine judges

Answer

Eleven judges

UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — The challenge to not breach the limit

Q1. The constitutional ceiling of 50% on total reservations, whose breach forced Karnataka to revise its quota matrix before the 2026 recruitment of 56,432 posts, was formally laid down by the Supreme Court in which one of the following cases?

Q2. Which one of the following was the earliest Supreme Court ruling that first indicated that reservations should ordinarily not exceed 50% — the principle later crystallised as a binding cap?

Q3. In State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh (2024) — the ruling that enabled Karnataka to design internal sub-classification within its 15% SC quota — what was the strength of the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court that delivered the judgment?