Bengaluru, Nov 11 : The Karnataka government has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court verdict that quashed the increase in reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and Scheduled Tribes (STs) from 3 per cent to 7 per cent.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on Wednesday, the state government approved filing an appeal through a government order on October 27, and the SLP was filed the following day.
The Congress government said it had taken several steps to protect the enhanced reservation and ensure that eligible candidates did not lose the benefits of the increased quota.
On December 18, 2025, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to include the enhanced reservation in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to provide it protection from judicial scrutiny, the statement said.
In February 2026, the government also approved recruitment to 56,432 posts, keeping an additional six per cent of vacancies meant for SC and ST candidates under a backlog arrangement until the Supreme Court delivers its final verdict.
The government also implemented internal reservation within the Scheduled Castes to ensure that the benefits reach the most backward communities among them.
The state Cabinet decided to challenge the High Court verdict on October 15, and the petition was filed within 16 days, the statement said.
The government maintained that inclusion of the enhanced quota in the Ninth Schedule was necessary to provide permanent constitutional protection and said it would continue pursuing the matter with the Centre.
The statement also criticised the previous BJP government, alleging that it had failed to secure constitutional protection for the reservation enhancement despite the recommendations of the Justice H N Nagamohan Das Commission in July 2020.
It alleged that although the then BJP government had promised to include the enhanced quota in the Ninth Schedule, it subsequently opted for an ordinance and legislation ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.
The Congress government further accused the Union government of not acting on Karnataka’s request for constitutional protection.
It said the Centre informed Parliament on July 25, 2026, that the request would be deferred as the matter was pending before the High Court.
The state government said it would pursue both the legal challenge in the Supreme Court and efforts to secure constitutional protection for the reservation benefits of SCs and STs.
