📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Muhammad Mahdi Karim/ Augustus Binu
Politics
Karnataka High Court Strikes Down SC/ST Quota Increase, Sparks Political Row
✍️ India Today
🗓 13 Oct 2026, 08:16 AM
👁 17
The Karnataka High Court has set aside the state government's decision to raise SC/ST reservation quotas, prompting criticism from opposition leader Siddaramaiah.
The Karnataka High Court has nullified the state government's order to increase reservation quotas for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in educational institutions and public employment. The bench held that the amendment violated existing legal provisions and could not be implemented without proper legislative backing.
The verdict overturns a policy that had been announced earlier this year, which sought to expand the share of SC/ST candidates in admissions and recruitment. Legal experts noted that the court's decision underscores the need for any reservation change to adhere strictly to constitutional safeguards.
Former Karnataka chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah seized on the judgment to accuse the ruling BJP of exploiting the issue for political gain. He urged the government to focus on development rather than contentious quota revisions. The ruling is expected to reignite debates on reservation reforms across the state.
The verdict overturns a policy that had been announced earlier this year, which sought to expand the share of SC/ST candidates in admissions and recruitment. Legal experts noted that the court's decision underscores the need for any reservation change to adhere strictly to constitutional safeguards.
Former Karnataka chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah seized on the judgment to accuse the ruling BJP of exploiting the issue for political gain. He urged the government to focus on development rather than contentious quota revisions. The ruling is expected to reignite debates on reservation reforms across the state.