The Karnataka High Court has declared unconstitutional the Karnataka government’s 2022 legislation that increased reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), taking the state’s total reservation quota to 56%.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha struck down the law, holding that the enhanced reservation breached the 50% ceiling laid down by the Supreme Court in the landmark Indra Sawhney judgment.
The legislation had increased reservations for Scheduled Castes from 15% to 17% and for Scheduled Tribes from 3% to 7%, raising the combined reservation quota to 56%.
The High Court emphasized that the Constitution provides for adequate representation rather than strictly proportionate representation. The bench also noted that the state government had failed to consult the National Commissions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes before enacting the legislation.
The ruling reinforces the constitutional principles governing reservation policies and highlights the need for state governments to comply with established judicial precedents and applicable constitutional procedures while introducing changes to reservation quotas.
