Substantive equality and constitutional mandate of Article 14 and Article 16

The constitutional guarantee of equality before the law and equal protection of the laws enshrined under Article 14, read alongside public employment guarantees in Article 16 and affirmative mandates in Article 335, rejects a sterile, purely formal legal equality in favor of substantive real-world equality. Affirmative action is not an exception to equality but an integral component designed to eliminate disparities in status, facilities, and opportunities between historically marginalized groups and dominant classes. Judicial review of recruitment schemes must focus on outcomes that secure genuine equal opportunity rather than mechanical procedural hurdles that disadvantage backward classes. Disallowing candidates from disadvantaged sections who outshine others from taking up open seats would erode the transformative promise of the Constitution and undermine the legitimacy of public employment processes. (Airport Authority of India & Ors. Vs Sham Krishna B & Ors. | 2026 INSC 69)