Tamil Nadu Timeline

Social ReformMGR era

Income ceiling introduced for backward class reservation

· Chennai

The MGR government introduced an annual income ceiling to exclude better-off families from backward class reservation.

In July 1979 the AIADMK government of M. G. Ramachandran introduced an economic criterion for reservation, excluding backward class families above an annual income limit of Rs 9,000. The move followed recommendations associated with the Sattanathan Commission on a creamy layer. The order was strongly opposed by the Dravidar Kazhagam and the DMK, who argued that reservation should rest on social and educational backwardness. The issue became a major point of contention in Tamil Nadu politics in the run-up to the 1980 elections.

Related events

  1. 1921

    1. 1921ChennaiLegislation

      First Communal Government Order on reservation

      The Justice Party government issued the first Communal Government Order, reserving government posts for different communities.

  2. 1969

    1. 1969 to 1970ChennaiSocial Reform

      Sattanathan Backward Classes Commission

      The first Backward Classes Commission of Tamil Nadu, headed by A. N. Sattanathan, recommended a separate Most Backward Class category.

  3. 1971

    1. 1971ChennaiSocial Reform

      Reservation raised to 49 percent

      The DMK government raised the backward classes quota from 25 to 31 percent and the SC/ST quota from 16 to 18 percent.

  4. 1980

    1. 21 Jan 1980ChennaiSocial Reform

      Income ceiling withdrawn, backward class quota raised to 50%

      After electoral setbacks, the MGR government withdrew the income ceiling and raised the backward class quota from 31% to 50%.

  5. 1989

    1. 1989ChennaiSocial Reform

      Separate 20% quota for Most Backward Classes

      The DMK government split the 50% backward class quota into 30% for Backward Classes and 20% for Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities.

  6. 1994

    1. Aug 1994ChennaiLegislation

      69% reservation Act placed in the Ninth Schedule

      Through the 76th Amendment, the Constitution's Ninth Schedule came to include Tamil Nadu's 1993 law that kept reservation at 69%.

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