The Karnataka High Court has restrained the state government from issuing any new recruitment notifications under the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Education Institutions and Appointments of Posts and Services under the State) Act, 2022, which had increased reservation for SCs and STs.
A division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Poonacha passed the interim order on November 27 while hearing two PILs filed by Mahendra Kumar Mitra of Raichur and Mahesh from Bengaluru. The court said no fresh recruitments can be initiated under the 2022 law until further orders.
The Act had raised SC reservation from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and ST reservation from 3 per cent to 7 per cent. OBC quota remains at 32 per cent, taking total reservation in Karnataka to 56 per cent.
While barring new notifications, the bench permitted the government to continue recruitment processes that were already notified before November 19, 2025. These selections may proceed even if they apply the enhanced reservation percentages.
However, the court made it clear that:
- All appointments made through these ongoing recruitments must be provisional
- Appointment and promotion orders must explicitly state that they are subject to the final outcome of the pending petitions
- Selected candidates cannot claim equity if the increased quotas are eventually struck down
The bench also clarified that this interim permission will not override any interim or final orders issued by other courts or tribunals in related cases.
The PILs challenge the validity of the 2022 Act on multiple grounds, including:
- The increased reservation allegedly breaches the 50 per cent cap imposed by the Supreme Court in Indra Sawhney.
- The State failed to consult the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, as required under Articles 338(9) and 338A(9) of the Constitution.
The government countered that stopping ongoing recruitments would severely affect administrative functioning because of manpower shortages.
The matter will be taken up next after the State files its response.
