Champakam Dorairajan and the First Amendment: A Landmark Case in Constitutional History

Champakam Dorairajan, a Brahmin woman from Madras, significantly influenced India’s constitutional history by legally challenging caste-based reservations in educational institutions. Her case, State of Madras v. Champakam Dorairajan (1951), resulted in the First Amendment of the Indian Constitution, which introduced Article 15(4) to permit affirmative action for socially and educationally backward classes. This landmark case was the first time the Supreme Court invalidated a law for infringing on fundamental rights, paving the way for ongoing discussions about merit, equality, and reservations in India.