Leelavathi N. and Ors. vs. The State of Karnataka and Ors. (16.10.2025 – SC)

 

The Supreme Court of India addressed the issue of whether the High Court could entertain writ petitions challenging the exclusion of candidates from an OBC category in a teacher recruitment process, despite the availability of an alternative remedy through the Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal (KSAT). The parties involved were Leelavathi N. and others against the State of Karnataka and others. The Court upheld the Division Bench’s decision that the Single Judge erred in entertaining the writ petitions, as the KSAT should be the first instance for such service disputes, following the precedent set in L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India. The appeals were dismissed, and the matter was directed to the KSAT for resolution, with interim orders made absolute and 500 posts reserved pending the Tribunal’s decision.