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The article discusses the concept of the 50% ceiling in the context of reservation policies in India. The author argues that the ceiling operates as a policy directive to help the State develop reservation policies that are in accordance with the constitutional objective of achieving substantive equality of opportunity. The ceiling creates a space for the Judiciary to review any reservation policy of the State which provides for high reservations to certain classes of people, thus ensuring that the tool of reservations does not become an exercise in distributing political patronage among certain castes. The author also notes that majoritarian urges and electoral compulsions have increasingly emerged as the driving force behind several reservation policies today, and that the power of review ensures that the Judiciary is able to safeguard minorities' fundamental right to equality of opportunity effectively.In conclusion, the author states that the 50% ceiling does not usurp the State's powers to develop and implement reservation policies under Articles 15 and 16 but limits the amount of power to ensure that these reservation policies do not violate constitutional values and policy directives. The ceiling reminds the State that it must develop policies that appropriately balance open competition and reservations, thus promoting equality by ensuring that reservation policies are implemented in a way that bolsters substantive equality of opportunity.