Hi,

There is no reservation granted on the basis of religion in the Central educational institutions at the national level, although reservation has been extended to religious minorities in some states. The Tamil Nadu government has allotted 3.5% of seats each to Muslims and Christians, thereby altering the OBC reservation to 23% from 30% (since it excludes persons belonging to Other Backward Castes who are either Muslims or Christians).

The Government of Andhra Pradesh introduced a law enabling 4% reservations for Muslims in 2004. This law has upheld by the Supreme Court of India in an interim order on March 25, 2010,however it constituted a Constitution bench to look in the issue.Until that decision,it is allowed.

The Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justices J.M. Panchal and B.S. Chauhan referred this issue to Constitution bench to examine the validity of the impugned Act since it involved important issues of Constitution.

The issue of whether religion-based quotas are permissible under the Constitution is now before a Constitution bench of the Supreme Court. Pending a decision on its legality, the top court, however, allowed the state government to implement the quota.