Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday (9 February) said that his government has started the process of including the law mandating a hike in reservations for Scheduled castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the Ninth Schedule.

The Chief Minister’s office issued a statement at the inauguration of ‘Janajagruthi Jathra Mahotsav’ organised as a part of Sri Valmiki Jathra Mahotsav in Davanagere.

The Karnataka State Legislative Assembly during the last session in Belagavi in December, passed a bill to hike the reservation for SCs and STs in the state.

The Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments for in the services under the state) Bill, 2022 increased reservations for SCs from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and for STs from 3 per cent to 7 per cent.

The hike followed recommendations made by a commission led by retired Karnataka High Court judge Justice HN Nagamohan Das.

The hike takes the reservation tally of Karnataka to 56 per cent, thus breaching the limit of 50 per cent set by the Supreme Court in the Indra Sawhney case.

The government seeks to ring-fence the bill and give it protection under the Ninth Schedule. Acts of Parliament listed under the Ninth Schedule cannot be challenged in the courts. It would have to be done through a Constitutional Amendment made by the Parliament.

The move is crucial for the poll-bound state, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vying for the SC and ST vote share, traditionally a supporter of the Congress.

The state government had also brought in new categories for Vokkaligas and Lingayats under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) categories, further seeking to increase the share of reserved seats in the state.

The move was, however, stayed by the state high court.

Valmiki Jathra Mahotsav

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