The Karnataka government is examining legal options, including a possible appeal in the Supreme Court, after the High Court struck down the State’s enhancement of reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, raising uncertainty for ongoing education admissions and recruitment processes.
Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara said the matter would be discussed comprehensively by the Cabinet before the government decides its next course of action. The High Court judgment affects the increase in reservation for Scheduled Castes from 15% to 17% and for Scheduled Tribes from 3% to 7%.
The government’s immediate concern is the effect of the ruling on students and job aspirants covered by the enhanced quotas. Mr. Parameshwara said that if the overall reservation percentage has to be reduced, the percentages under internal reservation may also need to be revised proportionately. While such a change would be mathematically manageable, he said, it could reduce opportunities available to different communities.
The reservation increase had taken Karnataka’s total quota to 56%, above the prevailing 50% ceiling. Mr. Parameshwara criticised the previous BJP government for implementing the law before establishing what he described as a constitutionally sustainable foundation. He said the government had been aware in October 2022 that the enhancement would take the total reservation beyond the 50% ceiling.
The Deputy Chief Minister also questioned the Union government’s decision not to include Karnataka’s reservation law in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. He referred to a reply given in Parliament on July 25, 2026, which stated that the proposal had been deferred because the matter was sub judice. The Ninth Schedule has been central to Karnataka’s attempt to protect the enhanced quota from legal challenge.
Mr. Parameshwara said Karnataka’s circumstances could have been considered as an exceptional case, citing Tamil Nadu’s 69% reservation arrangement, which was enabled through a constitutional amendment. He said the additional 6% reservation sought by Karnataka could similarly have been examined in light of the State’s social circumstances.
Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also questioned the decision to announce the enhanced reservation without first ensuring its constitutional sustainability. He said the Union government should explain what constitutional solution it proposed after deferring Karnataka’s request for Ninth Schedule protection.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said the Justice Nagamohan Das Committee, constituted during an earlier Congress government, had provided the foundation for enhancing reservation. He urged the State government to pursue legal remedies to protect the enhanced quota and safeguard affected students and job aspirants.
He also called for a review of the 50% ceiling, a constitutionally sustainable framework for population-informed reservation and reconsideration of Karnataka’s Ninth Schedule proposal. The Cabinet’s discussion and any decision on an appeal will determine the immediate legal and administrative course for the reservation policy.
