CHANDIGARH, August 6 — Days after a Supreme Court directive, the Central Government on Tuesday night formally extended 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to government jobs and educational institutions in Chandigarh, marking a significant policy shift for the Union Territory.
The Ministry of Home Affairs notified the move under Section 87 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, amending and applying the Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Act, 2016 to Chandigarh—with key modifications to align it with UT governance.
“This change ensures that OBC communities listed in the Central List for Chandigarh will now benefit from affirmative action in jobs and education,” said an official familiar with the notification.
The move follows a Supreme Court order directing the Chandigarh Administration to reserve 3% of academic seats, including MBBS, for OBC candidates in government-run institutes. The directive came on a special leave petition filed after the Punjab and Haryana High Court declined to invalidate the admission brochure of Government Medical College, Chandigarh, which omitted OBC quotas in its MBBS admissions.
In its earlier submission to the apex court, the Centre had assured that it would notify the law within a week, leading to Tuesday’s enactment.
While the original Haryana law used the term “Backward Classes”, the version extended to Chandigarh substitutes it with “Other Backward Classes” throughout. The new policy covers both government-run institutions and those receiving grants from the Chandigarh Administration.
As per the revised enactment, the Administrator of Chandigarh, appointed under Article 239 of the Constitution, will perform all duties assigned to the State Government in the original Haryana Act.
Though the law provides for 27% reservation, it will be implemented gradually over six years—starting with 3% in the first year, and increasing annually until the full quota is in place.
The notification also includes a fresh schedule identifying 58 OBC castes and communities eligible under the new policy in Chandigarh. These include Aheria, Nai, Kumhar, Kurmi, Gaddi, Saini, Gujjar, Jogi, Mochi, Ramgarhia, Teli, Lohar, Barai, Dhobi, and Jullaha (excluding Scheduled Castes), among others.
The change is expected to impact government hiring and admissions in prominent institutions across the UT, including Government Medical College and Panjab University-affiliated institutes.
