The Madhya Pradesh government has told the Supreme Court that backward communities together comprise more than 85% of the population in the state yet remain severely disadvantaged despite their overwhelming demographic presence, Live Law reported on Thursday.

In its affidavit filed on September 23, the state government relied on the 2011 Census to defend its decision to raise reservations for the Other Backward Classes to 27% from 14% in 2019.

As per the Census, Scheduled Castes constituted 15.6% of the population in the state, Scheduled Tribes 21.1% and OBCs more than 51%.

The affidavit was filed in response to petitions challenging the validity of Section 4 of the 1994 Madhya Pradesh Lok Seva Reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes Act, which

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