India, Dec. 30 -- The Supreme Court has ruled that the mere availability of reservation cannot operate as a bar against a reserved category candidate being considered for unreserved or open category posts, underscoring that even the most meritorious candidates from disadvantaged sections today face intense competition in an era of shrinking public employment.

A bench of justices Dipankar Datta and AG Masih made it clear that excluding reserved category candidates from the general pool solely on account of their social category, despite their having secured marks higher than the general cut-off, will not only harm candidates from disadvantaged sections but also undermine the constitutional promise of equality.

"A reserved category candid...