🧷 Authentic Classroom Explanation by IAS Monk

📍 The Question:

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: The Supreme Court of India has held in some judgements that the reservation policies made under Article 16(4) of the Constitution of India would be limited by Article 335 for maintenance of efficiency of the administration.

Statement-II: Article 335 of the Constitution of India defines the term ‘efficiency of administration’.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

(a) Both Statements-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
(b) Both Statements-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

✅ Correct Answer: (c)

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🔎 Curiosity Raiser (UPSC lens)

UPSC is testing whether you can distinguish between:

• constitutional text, and
• judicial interpretation built around that text.

The trap lies in assuming that frequently used constitutional phrases are clearly defined.

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🧠 Core Concept Tested

Interplay between Article 16(4) and Article 335 — Reservation vs Administrative Efficiency

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🔍 Classroom Explanation (UPSC Prelims Focused)

Statement-I ✅

• Article 16(4) empowers the State to provide reservation in public employment for backward classes.
• The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that reservation policies are subject to Article 335, which stresses:
  “maintenance of efficiency of administration.”
• Key judgments:
  • Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1993)
  • M. Nagaraj v. Union of India (2006)

👉 Statement-I is correct.

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Statement-II ❌

• Article 335 states that the claims of SCs and STs shall be considered consistently with the maintenance of efficiency of administration.
• However, the Constitution does not define what “efficiency of administration” means.
• Its meaning has been judicially evolved, not textually defined.

👉 Statement-II is incorrect.

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❌ Why the correct answer is (c)

• Statement-I is correct.
• Statement-II is incorrect.
• Hence, option (c).

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📘 Enrich Notes (Prelims Value Add)

• Article 16(4) → Enabling provision for reservation
• Article 335 → Limiting principle to balance reservation with efficiency
• Efficiency of administration → A constitutional phrase, not a defined term
• Interpretation shaped by judicial doctrine, not constitutional definition

📌 Prelims Recall Line
Reservation is enabled by Article 16(4), but restrained by Article 335.

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🧘‍♂️ IAS Monk Whisper

The Constitution speaks in principles;
the courts give those principles their working meaning.