NationalMonday, 12 October 2026·The Hindu - National
Karnataka HC strikes down 2022 law raising SC/ST quota beyond 50% ceiling
The Karnataka High Court on Monday struck down the 2022 law that raised SC/ST reservation to 56%, holding that the 50% ceiling is constitutionally binding.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In October 2026, the Karnataka High Court struck down Sections 3 and 4 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, after the State raised SC reservation from 15% to 17% and ST reservation from 3% to 7%.
Key specifics
- The Bench comprised Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha.
- The Act came into force retrospectively from November 1, 2022, under the Basavaraj Bommai government.
- With OBC reservation at 32%, the total reservation rose from 50% to 56%.
- The court relied on the 1992 Supreme Court judgment in Indra Sawhney vs Union of India.
- The judgment said the 50% ceiling is a binding constitutional principle, not a mere rule of prudence.
Exam lens
Polity and reservation law, 50% ceiling, Indra Sawhney (1992), Sections 3 and 4 of the 2022 Karnataka Act, and the EWS quota under the 103rd Constitutional Amendment are the key MCQ points.