Claims of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to services and posts
Quick Summary (TL;DR)
Article 335 (Claims of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to services and posts): Secures legislative representation and National Commissions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes (Part XVI).
In Simple Citizen Words
Article 335 ('Claims of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to services and posts') in Part XVI (Special Provisions Relating to Certain Classes) institutionalizes social justice and political representation for historically marginalized communities. It governs reserved seats for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha (Art 330) and State Assemblies (Art 332), claims in public services (Art 335), and the constitutional National Commissions for Scheduled Castes (Art 338), Scheduled Tribes (Art 338A), and Backward Classes (Art 338B). Specifically: The claims of the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes shall be taken into consideration, consistently with the maintenance of efficiency of administration, in the making of appointments to services and posts in...
Key Constitutional Provisions
Constitutional Mandate (Art. 335): Directly codifies the legal rule for 'Claims of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to services and posts' under Part XVI
Sets a direct, self-contained constitutional command binding on public authorities across India
Any administrative or legislative action violating Article 335 can be challenged before the High Court (Art. 226) or Supreme Court
Exceptions & Reasonable Restrictions
Under Article 341 and Article 342, once the Presidential notification specifying Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes is issued, any inclusion or exclusion can only be done by an Act of Parliament.
Why This Matters in Daily Life
Fulfils Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's vision of political and social democracy by giving marginalized communities a guaranteed voice in legislatures and constitutional commissions with civil-court powers to investigate atrocities.
Want deeper legal & historical context? Explore the official Bare Act or Supreme Court Precedents & CAD Debates: