Karnataka SC/ST quota: government moves Supreme Court against High Court verdict striking down hike
The state says it filed within 16 days of the judgment and will also press the Centre to place the enhanced quota in the Ninth Schedule.
Written with AI assistance from the sources listed below, then checked against them and reviewed by an editor. How our newsroom works
The Karnataka SC/ST quota dispute has reached the Supreme Court. The state government has filed a Special Leave Petition against the High Court verdict that struck down its higher reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, PTI reported on Wednesday. Scheduled Castes had been given a 17 per cent share, up from 15, and Scheduled Tribes 7 per cent, up from 3.
What the Karnataka High Court verdict held
Consultation with the National Commissions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was mandatory, the High Court held. Letters sent after the law was enacted did not meet that requirement, according to the state’s release as carried by ThePrint.
Total reservation had reached 56 per cent after the hike. Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said in October that the state cabinet would decide the next steps, the Deccan Chronicle reported.
Key numbers and dates
- 15 to 17 per cent: the revised Scheduled Caste quota, per Vartha Bharati.
- 3 to 7 per cent: the revised Scheduled Tribe quota, per Vartha Bharati.
- 56 per cent: the enhanced reservation the Assembly asked the Centre to protect on 18 December 2025, per ThePrint.
- 15 October 2026: the day the state Cabinet decided to challenge the verdict, per ThePrint.
- 56,432: vacancies approved for filling in February 2026, per ThePrint.
Ninth Schedule and the state’s argument
Karnataka’s government said it would “pursue the legal battle in the Supreme Court while simultaneously taking up the matter with the Union government for the necessary constitutional amendment”, according to the release. It described the Ninth Schedule as the only permanent safeguard against future legal challenges. It filed the appeal within 16 days of the judgment, the release added.
Claims about the previous BJP government also featured in the release. J C Madhuswamy, then law minister, had stated on 7 October 2022 that the enhanced reservation would be included in the Ninth Schedule, it said. On 21 March 2023, A Narayanaswamy, then a Union minister of state, told Parliament that no proposal from Karnataka had reached the Centre. These are the state government’s allegations as reported. No reply from the BJP appears in the reports reviewed.
What people said
Parameshwara said in October that “The Constitution says that reservation should be provided in proportion to the population”, according to the Deccan Chronicle. Responding to BJP allegations, he said “We cannot hold a judge’s hand and make them write an order.” Neither report names the BJP leaders who made the allegations.
What happens next for the Karnataka SC/ST quota case
Next, the Supreme Court will hear the state’s challenge. No hearing date has been reported. In parallel, the state plans to press the Centre for a constitutional amendment that would shield the Karnataka SC/ST quota from further challenge. Whether the Centre agrees is the next thing to watch.
The case decides whether Karnataka can keep a reservation ceiling above the Supreme Court's 50 per cent mark, which affects thousands of public jobs and seats. Without Ninth Schedule protection, the law stays open to further challenge even if the Supreme Court takes it up. The hearing date and any response from the Centre are the next things to watch.