Reservation-Related Acts of Parliament

Most of India's reservation framework comes from Constitutional Amendments, not standalone Acts — see our full list of Amendments that built the reservation system →. This page covers the separate, standalone Acts of Parliament that create or intersect with reservation.

Key standalone Acts

1989

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act

A criminal law that punishes specific offences committed against SC/ST individuals. It does not create or govern any employment or education quota — it is a protective criminal statute, often confused with reservation law.

2006

Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act

Provides 27% reservation for OBCs in central higher-education institutions (IITs, IIMs, central universities), alongside existing SC/ST reservation. Upheld by the Supreme Court in Ashoka Kumar Thakur v. Union of India (2008).

2009

Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act

Requires private unaided schools to reserve 25% of entry-level seats for children from economically weaker and disadvantaged sections, in the 6–14 age group.

2016

Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act

Raised the reservation quota for persons with benchmark disabilities from 3% to 4% in government jobs, and mandates at least 5% reservation in higher education institutions.

2023

Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Act)

Passed by Parliament in September 2023 as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, this reserves one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. See our Bills page for its current implementation status.

Often confused with each other: The SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and the various "reservation" Acts above serve very different purposes — one is criminal protection law, the others are quota-creating statutes. Constitutional Amendments (which insert or modify Articles like 15(4), 16(4A) and 15(6)) are a separate category again — see the full Amendment list linked above.

RHA's position: RHA supports economic-criteria and disability-based reservation as genuinely targeted correctives, but calls for periodic, transparent review of every one of the Acts above so quotas stay tied to present-day need rather than becoming permanent. Read the full demands in the RHA Manifesto.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there one single 'Reservation Act' in India?

No. Reservation mostly comes from Constitutional Amendments (see our Amendments page), while a smaller number of standalone Acts of Parliament — like the 2006 OBC admission Act, the RTE Act, and the RPwD Act — add further quota rules for specific contexts.

Does the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act create a reservation quota?

No. It is a criminal law punishing atrocities against SC/ST individuals — it has nothing to do with employment or education quotas.

How much reservation does the RPwD Act provide?

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 mandates 4% reservation in government jobs and at least 5% in higher education for persons with benchmark disabilities.

Is the Women's Reservation Act the same as a caste-based quota?

No. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (2023) reserves legislative seats for women — a separate category from caste- or economic-based employment and education reservation.

Where can I see the Constitutional Amendments that built the reservation system?

See our dedicated Reservation Act & Constitutional Basis page for the full chronological list of Amendments.