Constitution of India · Part XVI: Special Provisions Relating to Certain Classes · Reservation of seats and special representation to cease after
Article 335: Claims of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to services and posts
In plain words
The claims of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes must be taken into account, consistently with administrative efficiency, in appointments to Union and State services and posts. This does not prevent relaxing qualifying marks, lowering evaluation standards, or reserving promotions for them.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
The claims of the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes shall be taken into consideration, consistently with the maintenance of efficiency of administration, in the making of appointments to services and posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or of a State: [Provided that nothing in this article shall prevent in making of any provision in favour of the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes for relaxation in qualifying marks in any examination or lowering the standards of evaluation, for reservation in matters or promotion to any class or classes of services or posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or of a State.]
Source: India Code (Legislative Department), the official text of the Constitution of India. As amended up to the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023. Text as on 10 September 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the article 335
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Union of India & Ors. v. Sajib Roy
Issue arose as regards the correctness of the order by the High Court permitting the respondents who had applied as reserved candidates in OBC category after having availed age relaxation for the post of Constable, to…
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IN RE: RECRUITMENT OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED IN JUDICIAL SERVICES versus
Whether visually impaired candidates can be said to be ‘not suitable’ for judicial service; Whether the amendment made in Rule 6A of Madhya Pradesh Judicial Services (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 1994…
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Amrit Yadav v. The State of Jharkhand and Ors.
The core issues presented for adjudication before this Court in these appeals are:- (1) Whether the advertisement dated 29.07.2010 issued by respondent no. 4 and appointment process carried out in pursuance thereof, was…
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The State of Punjab & Ors. v. Davinder Singh & Ors.
The Supreme Court was required to adjudicate upon whether the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes for the purpose of providing affirmative action, including reservation is valid. In this context, the following issues…
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Association of Engineers and Others Etc. v. The State of Tamil Nadu and Others Etc.
Validity of appointing Technical Assistants (forming part of state subordinate services) as Assistant Engineers on transfer - challenged.
- Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India
- Jarnail Singh & Ors v. Lachhmi Narain Gupta & Ors
- Dr. Jaishri Laxmanrao Patil v. The Chief Minister & Ors.
- Medical College Vellore Association v. Union of India and Others
- Pravakar Mallick & Anr. v. The State of Orissa & Ors.
- Bajrang Lal Sharma v. C. K. Mathew and Ors.
- B K Pavitra and Ors. v. The Union of India and Ors
- Jarnail Singh & Others v. Lachhmi Narain Gupta & Others
- Bir Singh v. Delhi Jal Board & Ors.
- Tripurari Sharan and Anr. v. Ranjit Kumar Yadav & Ors.
- Shayara Bano v. Union of India and Others
- B. K. Pavitra & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors.
- Dr. Sandeep S/O Sadashivrao Kansurkar and Others v. Union of India and Others
- S. Panneer Selvam & Ors v. Government of Tamil Nadu & Ors.
- Nawal Kishore Mishra & Ors. Etc. v. High Court of Judicature at Allahabad Through Its Registrar General & Ors. Etc.
- Chairman & Managing Direcrgr Central Bank A of India & Ors. v. Central Bank of India Sc/St Employees Welfare "Association & Ors.
- Rohtas Bhankhar & Ors. v. Union of India & Anr.
- Union of India v. Faculty Association of Allms
- Samta Aandolan Samiti & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors.
- Duddilla Srinivasa Sharma and Ors. v. V. Chrysolite
- H. P. Scheduled Tribes Employees Federation & Anr. v. Himachal Pradesh S. v. K. K. & Ors.
- Faculty Association of Aiims v. Union of India & Ors.
- Salauddin Ahmed & Anr. v. Samta Andolan
- U.P. Power Corporation Ltd. v. Rajesh Kumar & Ors.
- Suraj Bhan Meena & Anr. v. State of Rajasthan & Ors.
- Sindhi Education Society & Anr. v. The Chief Secretary, Govt. of NCT of Delhi & Ors.
- Union of India v. Ramesh Ram & Ors. Etc.
- Jitender Kumar Singh & Anr. v. State of U.P. & Ors.
- Anil Chandra & Ors. v. Radha Krishna Gaur & Ors.
- Maharashtra State Road Transport Corpn. and Anr. v. Casteribe Rajya P. Karmchari Sanghatana
- Union of India v. Ramesh Ram & Ors.
- Andhra Pradesh Service Commission v. Baloji Badhavath & Ors.
- A. Satyanarayana & Ors. v. S. Purushotham & Ors.
- Ashoka Kumar Thakur v. Union of India & Ors
- Marripati Nagaraja and Ors. v. The Government of Andhra Pradesh and Ors.
- Vijay Singh Gond and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors.
- M. Nagaraj and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors
- Principal, Mehar Chand Polytechnic and Anr. v. Anu Lumba and Ors.
- National Fertilizers Ltd. & Ors. v. Somvir Singh
- Secretary, State of Karnataka and Ors. v. Umadevi and Ors.
- E. v. Chinnaiah v. State of Andhra Pradesh and Ors.
- E.A. Sathy Anesan v. V.K. Agnihotri and Ors.
- State of Punjab and Ors. v. Manjit Singh and Ors.
- Bimlesh Tanwar v. State of Haryana and Ors .
- T.M.A. Pal Foundation and Ors. v. State of Karnataka and Ors.
- State of Bihar and Anr. v. Bal Mukund Sah and Ors.
- Indira Sawhney v. Union of India and Ors.
- Ajit Singh and Ors. v. The State of Punjab and Ors.
- Dr. Preeti Srivastava and Anr. Etc. Etc. v. The State of Madhya Pradesh and Ors.
- All India Federation of Central Excise v. Union of India and Ors.
- Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh v. Faculty Association and Ors.
- Ashok Kumar Gupta and Anr. v. State of U.P. and Ors.
- State of Uttar Pradesh v. Dr. Dina Nath Shukla and Anr.
- Bhakta Rame Gowda and Ors. Etc. v. State of Karnataka and Anr. Etc.
- Superintending Engineer, Public Health, U.T Chandigarh and Ors. v. Kuldeep Singh and Ors.
- G.S.I.C Karmachari Union and Ors. v. Gujarat Small Industries Corporation and Ors.
- S. Vinod Kumar and Anr. v. Union of India and Ors.
- The Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes Officers Welfare Council v. State of Uttar Pradesh and Anr.
- M/S. Gujarat Machinery Manufacturers Ltd. v. Collector, Central Excise, Baroda.
- Ajit Singh Januja and Others v. State of Punjab and Others
- Mrs. Valsamma Paul Etc. v. Cochin University and Ors. Etc.
- Union of India and Ors. Etc. v. Virpal Singh Chauhan Etc.
- State of Karnataka v. Kumari Gowri Narayana Ambiga Etc.
- Indra Sawhney and Ors. Etc. Etc. v. Union of India and Ors. Etc. Etc.
- Indian Administrative Service (S.C.S.) Association, U.P. and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors.
- Mohan Kumar Singhania and Ors. Etc. Etc v. Union of India and Ors. Etc. Etc
- P & T Scheduled Caste/Tribe Employees' Welfare Association (Regd.) & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors.
- Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Gian Prakash, New Delhi & Anr. v. K.S. Jagannathan & Anr.
- K.C. Vasanth Kumar & Another. v. State of Karnataka
- Akhil Bharatiya Soshit Karamchari Sangh (Railway) Represented by Its Assistant General Secretary on Behalf of the Association v. Union of India and Ors.
- State of Kerala & Anr. v. N. M. Thomas & Ors.
- C. A. Rajendran v. Union of India & Ors.
- M.R. Balaji and Others v. State of Mysore
- The General Manager, Southern Railway v. Rangachari
- M/S. George Oakes (P.) Ltd. v. State of Madras