Karnataka High Court strikes down SC-ST reservation hike law

The Karnataka High Court delivered a significant judgment on Wednesday, striking down key provisions of legislation enacted in 2022 that sought to expand reservations for historically disadvantaged communities. The law had increased SC reservations to 17 percent from the previous 15 percent, while raising ST reservations to 7 percent from 3 percent. A bench of the high court found that the combined effect of these increases, bringing total reservations to 56 percent, violated the constitutionally mandated upper limit of 50 percent for affirmative action policies. The court's decision represents a major setback for the state government's efforts to enhance educational and employment opportunities for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Karnataka. Legal experts noted that the judgment reflects the judiciary's consistent position on interpreting the constitutional 50 percent reservation ceiling, a threshold established by the Supreme Court to balance affirmative action with merit-based selection principles. The ruling is expected to reignite debate over affirmative action policies in India, with advocates for backward communities calling for constitutional amendments to raise the reservation limit, while others argue that the current framework adequately protects minority rights.