Karnataka Cabinet decides to move SC on 56% quota striking down

The Karnataka Cabinet will file a Special Leave Petition challenging a high court ruling that struck down the state’s 56% reservation framework for SC and ST

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.

A committee led by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will consider seeking Ninth Schedule protection, a move that would require action by the Union government. (Handout)

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.

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.