Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has struck down the state’s 2022 legislation increasing reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) from 15% to 17% and Scheduled Tribes (STs) from 3% to 7%, holding that the enhanced quotas breached the 50% reservation ceiling established by the Supreme Court.
The verdict, delivered on October 12, 2026, by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K. S. Hemalekha, invalidates the provisions that pushed the combined reservation for SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from 50% to 56%.
The ruling has significant implications for reservation in Karnataka’s educational institutions and state government employment. The state government has indicated that it will examine its legal options, including a possible appeal before the Supreme Court.
What the Karnataka High Court ruled
The court examined provisions of the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in the Services under the State) Act, 2022.
Under the law, SC reservation was increased from 15% to 17%, while ST reservation rose from 3% to 7%. The reservation for OBCs remained at 32%, taking the combined quota to 56%.
The bench held that Section 3 of the Act was unconstitutional to the extent that it pushed the aggregate reservation beyond 50%. It also struck down Section 4, which provided for the enhanced reservation in state government services.
The court found that the provisions violated constitutional guarantees of equality under Articles 14 and 15, as well as Article 16 in relation to public employment.
The decision followed petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the legislation. One petition was filed by Mahendra Kumar Mitra, state president of the Dr Ambedkar Scheduled Castes Federation. Another was filed by civil engineering graduates Sagar H. R., Prajwal Kumar D. and Purushotham Gowda G. M., who had applied for Assistant Engineer (Civil) posts in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)
How the reservation increase was introduced
The legislation originated during the previous BJP government led by then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. The state government announced the increase in SC and ST reservation in 2022, and the law received the Governor’s assent on January 11, 2023, before being published in the Karnataka Gazette the following day.
The move followed recommendations and reports concerning the representation of SC and ST communities, including those associated with the Justice (Retd) Nagamohan Das Commission and a committee headed by former High Court judge Justice Subhash B. Adi.
The stated objective was to improve the representation of these communities in education and public employment. The increase, however, took the total reservation beyond the ceiling generally applied under Supreme Court jurisprudence.
The legal challenge centred on whether the state could raise the overall quota beyond 50% on the grounds of population size and inadequate representation. The High Court concluded that these considerations did not, by themselves, justify crossing the established ceiling.
Why the 50% reservation ceiling matters
The 50% ceiling is associated with the Supreme Court’s 1992 judgment in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India, a landmark case concerning reservations for backward classes.
The principle has generally been applied to maintain a balance between affirmative action and the constitutional guarantee of equality. While reservation policies are intended to address historical disadvantage and inadequate representation, the legal framework places limits on how far the overall quota can ordinarily be extended.
During the proceedings, the Karnataka government argued that the state’s demographic composition and the continued under-representation of SCs and STs supported the increase. It also relied on reports and recommendations concerning the social and educational position of these communities.
The High Court rejected the argument that demographic proportions alone justified exceeding the ceiling. It held that evidence of inadequate representation could support reservation measures within the constitutional framework but would not automatically permit the state to cross the overall limit.
The ruling therefore focuses on the legal validity of the method used to increase reservation, rather than denying the objective of improving representation for historically disadvantaged communities.
Government examines legal options
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara described the judgment as a serious development with implications for social justice, educational opportunities and public employment.
He said the government respected the judiciary and the constitutional framework but called on the Centre to review the 50% reservation ceiling and consider appropriate constitutional and legislative measures. He also urged the Union government to examine Karnataka’s request for inclusion of the enhanced reservation provisions in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
Parameshwara indicated that the state government would examine available legal remedies, including an appeal before the Supreme Court. He also said the government would seek to protect ongoing recruitment and educational opportunities in accordance with the law.
Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai separately called for the state government to approach the Supreme Court. He said he would consider taking legal steps himself if the government did not pursue an appeal.
These responses indicate that the dispute may continue through further legal and political proceedings. However, any appeal and its outcome will depend on the steps formally taken and the decisions of the competent court.
What the verdict means for students and job aspirants
The judgment raises questions about the implementation of the enhanced SC and ST quotas in admissions and state government recruitment.
The immediate implications will depend on the operative directions in the court’s order and any subsequent proceedings. Candidates awaiting admissions or appointments under recruitment processes affected by the enhanced quotas will be looking for clarification from the state government and the relevant recruiting authorities.
The government has said it will examine how to protect ongoing recruitment and educational opportunities within the law. Until further official directions or a higher-court order are issued, candidates should rely on notifications from the relevant departments and institutions rather than assume that individual admissions or recruitment processes have automatically been cancelled.
The ruling also renews the debate over whether reservation policy should be changed through state legislation, constitutional amendments or other legal mechanisms. Any such step would have to be assessed within the constitutional framework and the applicable judicial precedents.
Reservation debate likely to continue
The Karnataka High Court’s decision has reopened a longstanding legal debate over the relationship between affirmative action, population data and the 50% reservation ceiling.
For the state government, the immediate challenge is to determine whether an appeal is warranted and how to address the implications for education and public employment. For SC and ST communities, the ruling raises concerns about the future of the enhanced quotas that were introduced to improve representation.
The verdict does not end the broader discussion on reservation policy. It establishes that the specific provisions challenged before the court could not stand insofar as they pushed aggregate reservation beyond the ceiling. Any attempt to pursue a different framework will require legal and constitutional scrutiny.
The next steps by the Karnataka government and any proceedings before the Supreme Court will determine how the issue develops and what arrangements apply to affected admissions and recruitment exercises.