K’taka HC quashes enhanced SC, ST reservation quotas; Bommai seeks SC challenge

Bengaluru, Oct 12 (IANS) The Karnataka High Court on Monday quashed the enhanced reservation quotas for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in educational institutions and state government services, introduced by the then Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government, taking the overall reservation in the state from 50 per cent to 56 per cent.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha passed the order while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Mahendra Kumar Mitra challenging the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation) Act, 2022.

Under the revised quotas, reservations for SCs were increased from 15 per cent to 17 per cent, while those for STs were raised from three per cent to seven per cent. The changes increased the combined reservation for the two communities from 18 per cent to 24 per cent.

The increase was based on the recommendations of the retired Justice Nagamohan Das Committee, which proposed enhancing the quotas in proportion to the population of the respective communities. The recommendations were subsequently discussed at an all-party meeting, where political parties reportedly agreed to their implementation.

The then BJP government, led by Bommai, issued an ordinance to implement the increase after the state Cabinet approved the proposal. The Governor gave assent to the ordinance, and the government subsequently published a special gazette notification formalising the enhanced quotas.

The revised policy covered 103 sub-castes among the Scheduled Castes and 56 sub-groups among the Scheduled Tribes, with the stated objective of improving their representation in education and state government employment.

Reacting to the High Court’s ruling, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai urged the Karnataka government to challenge the order in the Supreme Court by filing a writ petition.

Bommai maintained that the enhanced quotas were based on the Justice Nagamohan Das Committee report and had been introduced through legislation passed by both Houses of the state legislature, rather than through a mere administrative order.

He cited Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh, where reservation levels exceed 50 per cent, and argued that the state government should approach the Supreme Court seeking relief. He warned that if the government failed to challenge the ruling, he would take the matter to the Supreme Court himself.

–IANS

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