The public record
Dr. Jaya Thakur has used public-interest litigation to raise questions of health, dignity, transparency and accountability before the Supreme Court of India.
A Congress leader from Madhya Pradesh, she has been reported as General Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh Mahila Congress. The petitions below were filed in her own name, or she was the lead or review petitioner.
Menstrual health in schools
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2022–26Decided · monitored
Free sanitary pads, separate toilets and menstrual education
On 30 January 2026 the Court held that menstrual health is part of the rights to life (Article 21) and education (Article 21A), and directed all schools to provide free sanitary napkins, separate toilets, safe disposal and menstrual education. Compliance orders followed in May and September 2026 (2026 INSC 994).
Dr. Jaya Thakur v. Government of India & Ors., W.P.(C) No. 1000 of 2022 · 2026 INSC 97
Clean elections and an independent Election Commission
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2022–24Decided
Electoral bonds
Her petition challenged the November 2022 notification opening an extra sale window for electoral bonds before the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections, and the Finance Act 2017 provisions behind the scheme. Heard with the petitions of the Association for Democratic Reforms, Common Cause and others, it ended on 15 February 2024 when a five-judge Constitution Bench held the scheme unconstitutional. She was the only Congress leader among the petitioners.
W.P.(C) No. 975 of 2022, heard with Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India
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2024–Pending
Appointment of Election Commissioners
Challenges the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which removed the Chief Justice of India from the committee that selects the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners. The Court declined an interim stay in 2024. In March 2026 Chief Justice Surya Kant recused. On 23 September 2026 a two-judge bench split on whether to refer the case to a larger bench, and she has since filed a curative petition seeking recall of that order on grounds of apprehended bias.
Dr. Jaya Thakur & Ors. v. Union of India, W.P.(C) No. 14 of 2024
LiveLaw (2024)Bar & Bench (Mar 2026)Bar & Bench (Sep 2026)Free Press Journal
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2021–22Notice issued
Anti-defection
Her petition seeks to bar legislators who resign or are disqualified for defection from contesting elections for five years. The Court issued notice in January 2021, and during the 2022 Maharashtra political crisis she sought urgent directions. No outcome has been reported.
Accountability in public office
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2022–23Decided
Tenure of the Enforcement Directorate's Director
Challenged successive extensions to the term of the Enforcement Directorate's then Director, S.K. Mishra. On 11 July 2023 the Court held the extensions illegal (while upholding the 2021 amendment Acts), allowed only a short transition, and later made clear that no extension beyond 15 September 2023 would be granted.
Dr. Jaya Thakur v. Union of India, W.P.(C) No. 456 of 2022, with W.P.(C) No. 1106 of 2022
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2023Probe declined
Adani–Hindenburg allegations
After the Hindenburg Research report, she sought a court-monitored investigation into the allegations against the Adani Group, including the role of LIC and SBI in investing public money in the group's follow-on public offer. The petition was heard with the related petitions. On 3 January 2024 the Court declined to order an SIT or CBI probe and left the investigation with SEBI.
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2025Not entertained
Remarks on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi
After a Madhya Pradesh minister's remarks about Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, she filed a caveat and then a petition seeking his removal from office under Article 164(3). The Court declined to entertain the petition, which was withdrawn, while asking the Special Investigation Team to examine the incidents it raised.
Women in legislatures, and social justice
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2023–Pending
Women's reservation
Sought immediate implementation of one-third reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies. Her 2023 petition, which challenged the census-and-delimitation condition, was dismissed as infructuous on 10 January 2025 because it had been framed against the Bill rather than the Act. On a fresh petition challenging the same condition, the Court issued notice to the Centre on 10 November 2025.
W.P.(C) No. 1181 of 2023; fresh petition, Diary No. 30811 of 2025
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2022–23Review dismissed
EWS reservation
She sought review, filed on 23 November 2022, of the Constitution Bench's 7 November 2022 judgment upholding the 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections. The review petitions were dismissed on 9 May 2023.
Review petition in Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India, W.P.(C) No. 55 of 2019
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2023Filed
27% OBC reservation in Madhya Pradesh
Challenged the Madhya Pradesh High Court's April 2023 order continuing its interim stay on raising OBC reservation in the State from 14% to 27%. The Supreme Court sought the State government's response in October 2023.
Case descriptions summarise court records and legal reporting; outcomes are the decisions of the Court. Status is as last reported in October 2026. For the latest position on a pending matter, see the Supreme Court of India's case-status service.