Karnataka Governor Gives Assent to Controversial Internal Reservation Bill
In a development marked by both achievement and caution, the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government has received the assent of Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot for the contentious internal reservation bill. Simultaneously, the administration has announced a decisive move to address the state's employment gap by filling more than 56,000 of the 2.8 lakh vacancies in the state government within the next 30 days.
Court Verdict Pending: A Conditional Implementation
This significant step comes with a critical legal caveat. The government's recruitment drive will be entirely subject to the final judgment of the Karnataka High Court. The court is currently hearing two pivotal cases challenging the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in the Services under the State) Act, 2022, and the more recent Karnataka Scheduled Castes (sub-categorisation in reservation) Act, 2025.
The High Court has granted only a "conditional approval" regarding reservations for seats and appointments. Consequently, any appointments or promotions made by the state government under the new reservation framework must explicitly state that they are provisional, pending the outcome of the ongoing legal challenges against the increased reservation quota. Notably, a separate bench of the High Court has already issued a stay order on the enhanced quota for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
Filling Posts Under the Old Quota System
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil clarified the government's immediate strategy. "As a result of this legal situation, the government will proceed to call for applications to fill 56,432 posts under the old reservation quota of 50%," he stated. This includes the established allocations of 15% for SCs and 3% for STs. The proposed enhanced quotas—an additional 2% for SCs and 4% for STs—will be kept in reserve, awaiting the High Court's final verdict.
Governor's Assent and the Path to 56% Quota
The political significance of the governor's assent was underscored on Thursday evening when a ministerial delegation, comprising SC community ministers and Law Minister HK Patil, met with Governor Gehlot to formally thank him. Following this meeting, sources from Lok Bhavan and the government confirmed that the Karnataka Scheduled Castes (sub-categorisation in reservation) Act, 2025 had indeed been cleared by the governor.
This legislative approval paves the way for the state government to potentially increase the overall reservation ceiling from 50% to 56%. However, the High Court's interim stay has significantly constrained the government's authority to implement the Act in its entirety until the legal disputes over the increased quota are resolved.
Details of the Internal Reservation Framework
As per the provisions of the new Act, the internal reservation for Scheduled Castes will be structured under a 6:6:5 ratio, operating within an enhanced total quota of 17% for SCs.
- 6% Allocation: Reserved for the 'Left' sect among the SC communities.
- Another 6%: Designated for the 'Right' sects within these communities.
- Remaining 5%: This portion will prioritize the most backward sub-castes of the SCs.
Within this 5% segment, 1% is earmarked with primacy for the most backward sub-castes, while the remaining 4% is allocated for four specific communities: Bhovis, Lambanis, Korcha, and Kormas. This detailed sub-categorization aims to ensure a more equitable distribution of reservation benefits within the broader SC category.
The government's move represents a complex balancing act between advancing its social justice agenda through legislative action and navigating the rigorous checks imposed by the judiciary. The coming weeks will be crucial as the recruitment process begins under a cloud of legal uncertainty, with thousands of job aspirants and the political future of the reservation policy hanging in the balance.
