Bengaluru, Nov 14 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar, urging the Centre to take immediate steps to provide Constitutional protection to the state’s increased reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) by including the relevant legislation in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
In his letter, Parameshwara sought urgent intervention by the Centre to protect the law enacted by the Karnataka government in 2022 to increase reservation for Scheduled Castes from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and for Scheduled Tribes from three per cent to seven per cent.
The legislation received the Governor’s assent on January 11, 2023, and came into effect retrospectively from November 1, 2022.
The reservation for these communities had remained unchanged for nearly seven decades.
According to the 2011 Census, Scheduled Castes constitute 17.15 per cent of Karnataka’s population, while Scheduled Tribes account for 6.95 per cent.
Taking into consideration their social and educational backwardness, the Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das Commission had recommended an increase in reservation and suggested that the legislation be included in the Ninth Schedule to provide constitutional protection.
However, the Karnataka High Court, on October 12, 2026, struck down the provisions relating to the enhanced reservation, saying that the overall reservation would rise to 56 per cent, exceeding the 50 per cent ceiling.
The state government has challenged the High Court’s order before the Supreme Court.
In his letter, Parameshwara cited the example of Tamil Nadu, where the 69 per cent reservation was granted Constitutional protection through the 76th Constitutional Amendment in 1994 by including the relevant legislation in the Ninth Schedule.
He urged the Centre to consider a similar measure to protect Karnataka’s 56 per cent reservation.
The Karnataka government had submitted a proposal to the Centre in this regard on March 23, 2023.
“The Karnataka Legislative Assembly also adopted a resolution on December 18, 2025, seeking Constitutional protection for the enhanced reservation. Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written to Prime Minister Modi on April 16, 2026, on the issue. However, the Centre had deferred action, citing the pendency of the matter before the courts,” the letter said.
Parameshwara added that judicial proceedings should not become a reason to indefinitely postpone the objective of social justice.
He said both the Union and state governments had a joint responsibility to address Constitutional issues and protect the educational and employment opportunities of disadvantaged communities.
He urged the Prime Minister to personally intervene and initiate the process of introducing the necessary Constitutional Amendment Bill in Parliament to bring Karnataka’s reservation legislation under the Ninth Schedule.
“I also called for consultations with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes to address the constitutional and procedural issues identified by the court. The Union Ministries of Law and Justice, Social Justice and Empowerment, Tribal Affairs and Home Affairs should coordinate and take a time-bound decision,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
The letter also called for a wider national-level discussion on the relevance of the existing 50 per cent reservation ceiling in view of the changing social conditions in the country.
Stating that social justice transcended political differences, Parameshwara said ensuring equal opportunities in education and employment for communities that had remained deprived of opportunities for centuries was a collective responsibility of the nation.
He urged the Centre to respond positively to Karnataka’s long-pending demand and take a decision within a stipulated timeframe.
The key demands in the letter include placing the legislation providing 17 per cent reservation for SCs and seven per cent for STs in the Ninth Schedule, introducing the required Constitutional Amendment Bill in Parliament, consulting the national commissions concerned, resolving the legal and procedural issues, and undertaking a national-level review of the 50 per cent reservation ceiling.
The overall demand is to provide Constitutional protection to Karnataka’s enhanced reservation for SCs and STs, totalling 24 per cent, on the lines of the protection extended to Tamil Nadu’s 69 per cent reservation.
–IANS
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