Quota row: Karnataka files SLP in Supreme Court over reservation breaching 50% mark

Bengaluru The State government has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the High Court of Karnataka’s decision that quashed the increase of reservation to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) from 15% to 17% and 3% to 7%, respectively. The State government, through a Government Order dated October 27, approved filing of the SLP in the SC after the Cabinet on October 15 decided to file the SLP.

What HC said On October 12, the High Court — stating that the enhancement was “constitutionally impermissible” — had quashed the higher quota for SCs and STs that took the total reservation in Karnataka to 56%, breaching the cap of 50% imposed by the Supreme Court in 1992. In Karnataka, the total reservation matrix provides 15% to SCs, 3% to STs, and 32% to OBCs, taking the total to 50%.