Supreme Court denies Andhra Pradesh 34% reservation in local bodies
India
The Supreme Court has turned down Andhra Pradesh's plea to bring back a 34% reservation for backward classes in local bodies.
The court agreed with the state high court, which said Andhra Pradesh didn't have enough solid data to justify going over the 50% reservation cap set by earlier rulings.
Andhra Pradesh reservation evidence insufficient
Andhra Pradesh tried to support its case with a statewide survey and some local data, but both courts felt this just wasn't strong enough evidence.
The message is clear: if states want to change reservation limits, they need thorough proof, not just numbers that don't meet the mark.
This isn't the first time a state has tried (and failed) to cross that 50% line, so expect any future changes to face tough scrutiny too.