Karnataka Governor gives assent to ordinance hiking SC/ST reservation

Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot on Sunday gave his assent to the ordinance to hike the reservation for persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (SC/STs) in the state.

The ordinance will now be called the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or posts in the services under the State) Ordinance, 2022. It will be in force for two years from the date of commencement.

On October 7, the government announced its decision to increase the quota for SC/ST communities in educational institutions and government jobs.

The Opposition parties are skeptical about implementing this ordinance as the hike in the reservation will breach the 50% ceiling fixed by Supreme Court in the 1992 Indra Sawhney (famously known as Mandal Commission) case.

The ordinance reads that the total population of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the state went up by leaps and bounds.

“Therefore there has been a continuous demand and request by the members belonging to the SC/STs for increase in the reservation percentage, both in public employment and in educational institutions, as there was no adequate representation as per the constitutional mandate.” the ordinance states.

Justice Adi and Justice Nagamohan Das committees had recommended to the state government to increase the reservations for the Scheduled Castes up to 17% and up to 7% for Scheduled Tribes.