---
title: "Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) — Definition"
description: "Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) upheld 27% OBC reservations and capped total reservations at 50%, impacting India's affirmative action policies."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/indra-sawhney-case-1992"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Indra Sawhney v.
- Union of India (1992) is the Supreme Court of India judgment that upheld 27% OBC reservation, capped total reservations at 50%, and barred reservation in promotions.
- What is the 50% reservation ceiling established in Indra Sawhney?
- What is the creamy layer and how did Indra Sawhney treat it?
- Did Indra Sawhney permit reservation in promotions?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 16 November 1992

   Union of India\*\*, reported at AIR 1993 SC 477 and decided on by a nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of India, is the foundational ruling on…

2. 13 August 1990

   Singh's Office Memorandum of , which accepted the central recommendation of the Second Backwards Classes Commission—the Mandal Commission, chaired by B.P.

3. 25 September 1991

   A subsequent memorandum of , issued under the Narasimha Rao government, added a 10% reservation for the economically backward among forward castes.

4. 8 September 1993

   The Department of Personnel and Training in New Delhi issued the creamy-layer income and status criteria through its Office Memorandum of , initially excludi…

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Example

In May 2021, the Supreme Court struck down Maharashtra's Maratha reservation in Jaishri Laxmanrao Patil v. Chief Minister, holding that it breached the 50% ceiling fixed by Indra Sawhney without any extraordinary circumstance justifying the excess.

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