Overview

• The Union government has initiated a caste census alongside the general census, marking a significant policy shift in addressing reservation demands.
• The caste census could provide courts with the empirical data required to reconsider the 50% reservation limit set by the Supreme Court's 1992 Indra Sawhney ruling.
• Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has called for the removal of the 50% cap, labeling it an artificial barrier to equitable representation.
• Tamil Nadu and Telangana currently exceed the 50% cap through Ninth Schedule protections, though such laws remain subject to judicial review under recent precedents.
• The 2019 103rd Amendment, which introduced a 10% quota for economically weaker sections, stands as a precedent for breaching the reservation ceiling under specific conditions.