K.C. VASANTH KUMAR & ANOTHER. vs STATE OF KARNATAKA

The Supreme Court upheld the validity of the means test adopted by the State of Karnataka for the reservation of appointments under Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution of India. The Court clarified that the terms 'backward classes' and 'backward communities' are interchangeable and emphasized the need for special provisions for socially and educationally backward classes. The judgment established that the government has the power to make reservations to ensure adequate representation in public services without impairing efficiency, as mandated by Article 335.