Scheduled Caste federation welcomes Karnataka High Court decision

Welcoming the Karnataka High Court’s decision to strike down the additional reservation quota for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), the Dr. Ambedkar Scheduled Castes Federation has opposed the State Cabinet’s move to appeal the verdict in the Supreme Court.

​Addressing the press in Raichur, the federation’s State president Mahendra Kumar Mitra noted that the 2022 legislation — which had increased total reservations in the State to 56% by raising SC quotas from 15% to 17% and ST quotas from 3% to 7% — violated constitutional limits established by landmark judgments, including the Indra Sawhney and Jaishri Laxmanrao Patil cases. Citing the I.R. Coelho ruling, Mr. Mitra underscored that laws exceeding the 50% ceiling and placed in the Ninth Schedule remain subject to judicial review.

​He further demanded that the State government submit proposals to the Union government under Articles 341(2) and 342(2) of the Constitution to exclude 24 communities — including 13 castes from the SC list and 11 from the ST list — alleging that they were inappropriately included.

Mr. Mitra said that excluding these communities would curb the misuse of the Atrocities Act and urged the State to implement the creamy layer policy for SCs and STs to ensure the equitable distribution of benefits. Meanwhile, authorities were pressed to expedite pending recruitment under the unaffected 32% Other Backward Classes quota.

The State government would be held responsible if the Supreme Court passed a judgment striking down the reservation that was enhanced in Tamil Nadu and other States, while hearing the appeal that was proposed to be filed by the State, Mr. Mitra said.