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Tamil Nadu's Horizontal Reservation Policy
September 13 , 2025
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- In August 1996, the DMK government under M. Karunanidhi set up a high-level committee to review educational standards.
- Based on the committee’s recommendation, a Government Order (G.O.) was issued granting 15% reservation for students from panchayat schools in rural areas for professional courses.
- In December 1997, the 15% reservation was extended to medical courses and later to law courses.
- In 2001, the AIADMK government led by J. Jayalalithaa increased the rural quota from 15% to 25%.
- In February 2002, a three-judge Bench of the Madras High Court struck down the G.O. as unconstitutional under Article 14 of the Indian Constitution.
- The Tamil Nadu government filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order.
- The SLP argued that horizontal reservation aimed to support underprivileged rural students and was based on social and educational backwardness.
- The Supreme Court declined to stay the Madras High Court’s judgment.
- As a result, the 25% rural reservation policy was discontinued.
- In September 2020, the AIADMK government under Edappadi K. Palaniswami passed a Bill for 7.5% horizontal reservation for government school students in NEET-based medical admissions.
- The policy was based on recommendations from a Commission led by retired High Court judge P. Kalaiyarasan.
- The Commission recommended a 10% reservation, but the government implemented 7.5%.
- In August 2021, the DMK government under M. K. Stalin extended the 7.5% reservation to engineering, agriculture, veterinary, and fisheries courses.
- This extension was based on recommendations from another Commission headed by retired High Court judge D. Murugesan.
- The policy introduced a new criterion—socially and educationally deprived—without affecting the existing 69% vertical reservation.
- Under the policy, government school students receive preferential admission across all vertical categories, including BC, MBC, SC, ST, and OC.
- In April 2022, the Madras High Court upheld the constitutional validity of the 7.5% horizontal reservation.
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