Karnataka to move SC against HC ruling on SC/ST quota increase

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday decided to file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court ruling that struck down the state’s increased SC/ST reservation, bringing the overall quota in education and government jobs back to the 50% ceiling from 56%.

The Cabinet also referred the issue to the political advisory committee headed by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to examine the judgment and recommend further legal action.

Deputy CM G Parameshwara said the government would assess the ruling’s implications for educational admissions and government recruitments, including more than 300 engineers recruited through the Karnataka Public Service Commission under the increased quota.


A division bench of the High Court on Monday quashed provisions of the Karnataka SC/ST Reservation Act, 2022, which increased reservation for Scheduled Castes from 15% to 17% and for Scheduled Tribes from 3% to 7%. The law was enacted by the previous BJP government led by Basavaraj Bommai, and the Congress government continued to follow it in recruitments.

The Court had restrained implementation of the increased quota in December 2025. In March 2026, the government decided to continue recruitment within the 50% ceiling, keeping the additional 6% as backlog vacancies pending judicial approval.

Parameshwara cited Tamil Nadu’s 69% reservation, which is included in the Constitution’s Ninth Schedule, and said Karnataka’s increased quota could be examined in the context of the state’s social circumstances. Any move to include Karnataka’s law in the Ninth Schedule would require action by the Union government and remain subject to constitutional limitations and judicial review.

Congress Working Committee member Siddaramaiah urged the Centre to reconsider the 50% ceiling and facilitate a constitutionally sustainable reservation framework based on population. Union minister HD Kumaraswamy, however, said reservation must comply with the Supreme Court’s 50% ceiling.