Supreme Court of India

M. Nagaraj and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors

Neutral citation

Bench Y.K. Sabharwal, K.G. Balakrishnan, S.H. Kapadia, C.K. Thakker and P.K. Balasubramanyan JJ.

Decided 19 October 2006

INSC stands for INDIAN SUPREME COURT. A neutral citation scheme assigned by the Court itself, so a judgment can be cited without depending on a commercial law reporter. INSC is the neutral citation scheme assigned by the Supreme Court, so a judgment can be cited without depending on a commercial law reporter.

51 Supreme Court benches have cited this judgment.

What the Court ordered

We are of the opinion that there is no constitutional or legal bar to a State categorizing the backward classes as backward and more backward.

Judgment, page 74

From the headnote

Constitution of India, 1950; Articles 14, 16(/), (2), (3), (4), (4A) & (48), 47, 246, 335 and 368/Amendments Act 77th of 1995, 8/st of 2000 and 85th of 2001: Amendments in Constitution inserting Articles /6(4A) and 16(48) Reservation in promotion-Extent of-Equality of opportunity in employment Altering of basic structure-Held: Principles set out in the Constitution should be interpreted by adopting a purposive approach- Secularism, democracy, reasonableness. social justice are overarching principles providing linking factor for fundamental rights-Validity of amendments in the Constitution…

Authorities it was built on

1991 Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu and Others cited by 60
1995 Union of India and Ors. Etc. v. Virpal Singh Chauhan Etc. cited by 38

Where later benches applied it

2021 Union of India v. Rajendra N. Shah and Another relied on
2020 Chebrolu Leela Prasad Rao & Ors. v. State of A.P. & Ors. relied on
2018 Navtej Singh Johar & Ors. v. Union of India Thr. Secretary Ministry of Law and Justice relied on
2017 Bhargavi Constructions & Anr. v. Kothakapu Muthyam Reddy & Ors. relied on
2016 Represented by its Principal Secretary & Ors. v. State of Tamil Nadu relied on
2016 Nabam Rebia, and Bamang Felix v. Deputy Speaker and Others relied on
2016 Suresh Chand Gautam v. State of Uttar Pradesh & Ors. relied on
2015 S. Panneer Selvam & Ors v. Government of Tamil Nadu & Ors. relied on
2012 U.P. Power Corporation Ltd. v. Rajesh Kumar & Ors. relied on
2011 C.M. Thri Vikrama Varma v. Avinash Mohanty and Ors. relied on
2020 Pravakar Mallick & Anr. v. The State of Orissa & Ors. followed
2019 B K Pavitra and Ors. v. The Union of India and Ors followed
2010 Suraj Bhan Meena & Anr. v. State of Rajasthan & Ors. followed
2025 Reena Banerjee and Another v. Government of Nct of Delhi and Others referred to
2025 Directorate of Revenue Intelligence v. Raj Kumar Arora & Ors. referred to
2024 Central Organisation for Railway Electrification v. M/s Eci Spic Smo Mcml (jv) A Joint Venture Company referred to
2024 Sukanya Shantha v. Union of India & Ors. referred to
2024 The State of Punjab & Ors. v. Davinder Singh & Ors. referred to
2023 Reserve Bank of India & Ors. v. A.K. Nair & Ors. referred to
2023 Sakshi Arha v. The Rajasthan High Court and Others referred to
2022 Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India referred to
2022 Pattali Makkal Katchi v. A. Mayilerumperumal & Ors. referred to
2022 The State of Punjab and Another v. Anshika Goyal and Others referred to
2021 Dr. Jaishri Laxmanrao Patil v. The Chief Minister & Ors. referred to
2021 Small Scale Industrial Manufactures Association (regd.) v. Union of India and Others referred to
2020 The State of Punjab & Ors. v. Davinder Singh & Ors. referred to
2020 Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India & Ors. referred to
2020 K Pavithra and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors. referred to
2020 Bajrang Lal Sharma v. C. K. Mathew and Ors. referred to
2018 Jarnail Singh & Others v. Lachhmi Narain Gupta & Others referred to
2018 Bir Singh v. Delhi Jal Board & Ors. referred to
2017 The State of Tripura & Ors. v. Jayanta Chakraborty & Ors. referred to
2017 Indian Young Lawyers Association & Ors. v. State of Kerala & Ors. referred to
2017 Justice K S Puttaswamy (retd.), and Anr. v. Union of India and Ors. referred to
2016 State of Karnataka v. State of Tamil Nadu & Ors. referred to
2016 Vikas Sankhala & Ors. Etc. v. Vikas Kumar Agarwal & Ors. Etc. referred to
2015 Chairman & Managing Direcrgr Central Bank A of India & Ors. v. Central Bank of India Sc/st Employees Welfare "association & Ors. referred to
2014 Rajendra Kumar Agrawal v. State of U.P. & Ors. referred to
2014 Manoj Narula v. Union of India referred to
2013 H. P. Scheduled Tribes Employees Federation & Anr. v. Himachal Pradesh S. V. K. K. & Ors. referred to
2013 Faculty Association of Aiims v. Union of India & Ors. referred to
2013 Chairman, Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation & Ors. v. Smt. Santosh & Ors. referred to
2012 Alok Kumar Pandit v. State of Assam & Ors. referred to
2012 Salauddin Ahmed & Anr. v. Samta Andolan referred to
2010 Sindhi Education Society & Anr. v. The Chief Secretary, Govt. of Nct of Delhi & Ors. referred to
2010 Union of India v. Ramesh Ram & Ors. Etc. referred to
2010 State of West Bengal & Ors. v. The Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights, West Bengal & Ors referred to
2014 Pramati Educational & Cultural Trust ® & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors. mentioned
2013 Suresh Kumar Koushal and Another v. Naz Foundation and Others mentioned
2013 Yakub Abdul Razak Memon v. The State of Maharashtra, through Cbi, Bombay mentioned
2011 G. Srinivas Rao v. Union of India & Ors. mentioned

Of those, 10 relied on · 3 followed · 34 referred to · 4 mentioned

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