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Tamil Nadu reservation system: how the 69% quota is divided
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Tamil Nadu reserves 69 per cent of seats in government jobs and state educational institutions: 26.5% for Backward Classes (other than Muslims), 3.5% for Backward Class Muslims, 20% for Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities, 15% for Scheduled Castes, 3% for Scheduled Castes (Arunthathiyars) and 1% for Scheduled Tribes. The remaining 31% is open. These shares match the breakdown printed in TNPSC's Group 4 notification No. 11/2026 (Annexure II).
The 69% breakdown
| Category | Share |
|---|---|
| Backward Classes, other than Muslims, BC(OBCM) | 26.5% |
| Backward Class Muslims, BCM | 3.5% |
| Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities, MBC/DC | 20% |
| Scheduled Castes, SC | 15% |
| Scheduled Castes (Arunthathiyars), SC(A) | 3% |
| Scheduled Tribes, ST | 1% |
| Total reserved | 69% |
| Open competition ("Others", also called General Turn) | 31% |
Adding SC and SC(A) gives 18% for the Scheduled Castes as a whole, and adding BC(OBCM) and BCM gives 30% for the Backward Classes as a whole. The 3% for Arunthathiyars is a sub-quota inside the 18% for the Scheduled Castes. The 3.5% for BC Muslims is a sub-quota inside the 30% for the Backward Classes.
Other reservations in recruitment
TNPSC's notification lists, in addition to the community quota, these horizontal reservations:
- Women: 30% of posts in each category.
- Persons with benchmark disabilities: 4%.
- Destitute widows: 10% of the women's 30% for posts up to Level 10 (applies to some posts and groups, and not to Group 1).
Candidates in a reserved category can also compete for open seats. For community-wise age limits and fee concessions in recruitment, see the TNPSC eligibility guide. Always read the reservation paragraph of the specific notification.
How the system developed
| Year | Step |
|---|---|
| 1921 | The Communal G.O. of the Justice Party government sets aside posts for non-Brahmin communities |
| 1951 | After the Champakam Dorairajan case, the first Constitutional Amendment adds Article 15(4) |
| 1969 | Sattanathan Commission on Backward Classes is appointed |
| 1971 | Quota for BCs raised to 31% and for SC/ST to 18% (total 49%) |
| 1980 | BC quota raised to 50%, total 68% |
| 1982 | Ambasankar Commission appointed |
| 1989 | MBC and DC created as a separate 20% category, with BC at 30% |
| 1990 | ST given a separate 1%, so the total becomes 69% |
| 1993 to 1994 | Tamil Nadu Act to protect 69% after the Indra Sawhney judgement; placed in the Ninth Schedule by the 76th Amendment (1994) |
| 2007 | 3.5% for BC Muslims carved out of the BC quota |
| 2009 | 3% for Arunthathiyars carved out of the SC quota |
In 1992, the Supreme Court's Indra Sawhney judgement capped reservation at 50 per cent in normal cases. Tamil Nadu responded in 1993 with a state law to keep 69% in place, and the 76th Amendment put it in the Ninth Schedule. Challenges to the ceiling have gone to the courts, so the matter has been legally contested over the years. In 2021, the state passed an Act for a 10.5% internal quota for Vanniyakula Kshatriyas within the MBC/DC share. The Madras High Court struck the law down in November 2021 and the Supreme Court upheld that decision in 2022.
Other quota-linked features
- 7.5% horizontal reservation for government school students in professional course admissions, started in 2020 for medical seats (see NEET counselling in Tamil Nadu).
- Tamil Nadu's own system is separate from central reservation. In central government jobs and institutions, the central lists and the 27% OBC quota apply instead.
- Caste lists differ. Backward Classes, MBC/DC and denotified communities in Tamil Nadu are listed by the state; the Tamil Nadu Backward Classes Commission advises on additions and removals, as described on Tamil Nadu state commissions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the total reservation percentage in Tamil Nadu?
69 per cent: 30% for Backward Classes (26.5% BC plus 3.5% BC Muslims), 20% for MBC and DC, 18% for Scheduled Castes (15% plus 3% for Arunthathiyars) and 1% for Scheduled Tribes.
Why is the Tamil Nadu quota above 50%?
The state passed a law in 1993 to protect it after the Supreme Court's 50% ceiling in 1992, and the law was placed in the Ninth Schedule by the 76th Amendment in 1994. Court challenges to it have continued.
What is the full form of MBC/DC?
Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities, who have a combined 20% share.
What is SC(A)?
Scheduled Castes (Arunthathiyars), a community group given a 3% sub-quota within the Scheduled Castes' share since 2009.
Where is the reservation rule written for a specific TNPSC exam?
In the Annexure on reservation of the exam's notification. For Group 4, that is Annexure II of Notification No. 11/2026.
Official sources
- TNPSC notifications: reservation annexure of each exam.
- Tamil Nadu Government portal: Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Department notices.
- Constitution of India: Articles 15(4) and 16(4), and the Ninth Schedule.
Percentages in this table are the figures in the Group 4 notification of 6 October 2026. Check the latest notification of your exam before relying on them.
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