The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday decided to approach the Supreme Court challenging a high court order that struck down its 56% reservation framework for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), even as a committee led by chief minister DK Shivakumar examines whether the state can seek constitutional protection for the law through the Ninth Schedule, according to an official communication.
The Cabinet has decided to file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) against the October 2 verdict. The parallel examination of Ninth Schedule inclusion by the panel, which is yet to be formed, would require action by the Union government, opening a separate political and constitutional route for the state to pursue the enhanced quota.
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The dispute centres on a legislation enacted in 2022 that raised reservations for SCs from 15% to 17% and STs from 3% to 7%. The 32% allocation for Other Backward Classes remained unchanged, taking the combined reservation from 50% to 56%.
A bench of chief justice Vibhu Bakhru and justice KS Hemalekha held that Karnataka failed to demonstrate the exceptional circumstances necessary to exceed the 50% ceiling recognised in Supreme Court jurisprudence.
{{/usCountry}}A bench of chief justice Vibhu Bakhru and justice KS Hemalekha held that Karnataka failed to demonstrate the exceptional circumstances necessary to exceed the 50% ceiling recognised in Supreme Court jurisprudence.
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