Bengaluru, October 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
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, which had raised the state’s overall reservation from 50 per cent to 56 per cent under the previous BJP government led by Basavaraj Bommai.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha passed the order while hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by Mahendra Kumar Mitra challenging the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation) Act, 2022.
Under the enhanced quota policy, reservation for Scheduled Castes was increased from 15 per cent to 17 per cent, while the Scheduled Tribes quota rose 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 increases were based on recommendations made by a committee headed by retired Justice Nagamohan Das, which proposed revising the quotas in proportion to the respective communities’ population. The recommendations were subsequently discussed at an all-party meeting.
The Bommai-led government moved to implement the changes after the state Cabinet approved the proposal. An ordinance was issued, received the Governor’s assent and was subsequently formalised through a special gazette notification.
The revised policy covered 103 sub-castes among the Scheduled Castes and 56 sub-groups among the Scheduled Tribes, with the stated aim of improving their representation in education and government employment.
Reacting to the High Court’s decision, former Chief Minister Bommai urged the state government to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court by filing a writ petition.
He argued 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 an administrative order alone.
Citing Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh, where reservation levels exceed 50 per cent, Bommai said Karnataka should approach the Supreme Court seeking relief. He also warned that if the state government failed to challenge the ruling, he would approach the apex court himself.
The High Court’s decision places the enhanced SC and ST quotas at the centre of a renewed legal and political debate over reservation levels in Karnataka.
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