07/06/2026
Caste Certificate Issued in One State Cannot Be Used for Reservation Benefits in Another State: MP High Court
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has reiterated that reservation benefits under the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and OBC categories are confined to the State in which the caste has been officially recognized.
The case arose from the appointment process for an Anganwadi Worker, where a candidate sought reservation benefits in Madhya Pradesh on the basis of a Scheduled Caste certificate issued in Rajasthan.
The Court observed, “A person who migrates from one State to another does not carry his caste status to the migrating State, even if the same caste is recognized as SC in both States.”
The Bench emphasized that reservation benefits are linked to the specific social, educational, and economic backwardness faced by a community within a particular State. Therefore, a caste certificate issued in one State cannot automatically be used to claim reservation benefits in another.
The Court held that the petitioner, whose Scheduled Caste certificate was issued in Rajasthan, could not claim reservation benefits in Madhya Pradesh and directed authorities to reassess the merit of all candidates after granting them an opportunity of hearing.
