Landmark Supreme Court case · 1951
State of Madras v. Champakam Dorairajan
Why this case matters
Struck down caste-based admissions; led to the First Amendment and Article 15(4).
Connected constitutional articles
Article 15 — Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth
Citizens cannot be shut out of public life only because of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth. Special measures for women, children, and disadvantaged groups are still allowed.
Article 29 — Protection of interests of minorities
A group with its own language, script, or culture can conserve it. No citizen should be refused admission to a State-run or State-aided education institution only on those grounds.