Karnataka SC/ST quota hike: Dy CM Parameshwara urges PM Modi for Ninth Schedule protection
Synopsis
With the Karnataka High Court having struck down the state's SC/ST quota hike in October 2026 — pushing total reservation to a contested 56% — Deputy CM Parameshwara has formally demanded that the Centre shield the law via the Ninth Schedule, citing the Tamil Nadu 1994 precedent. It is the state's most direct political escalation yet on a demand that the Centre has deferred for over three years.
Key Takeaways
Parameshwara wrote to PM Narendra Modi , Home Minister Amit Shah , and Minister Virendra Kumar on 14 November 2026 .
He urged inclusion of the state's SC/ST quota law in the Ninth Schedule to protect it from judicial challenge.
The law raised SC reservation from 15% to 17% and ST reservation from 3% to 7% , taking total reservation to 56% .
The Karnataka High Court struck down the enhanced provisions on 12 October 2026 , citing a breach of the 50% ceiling ; the state has appealed to the Supreme Court .
The letter cites Tamil Nadu's 69% reservation , protected via the 76th Constitutional Amendment (1994) , as a precedent.
Karnataka has been pursuing this demand since March 2023 ; the Centre had deferred action citing pending court proceedings.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara on Saturday, 14 November 2026, 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 include the state's enhanced reservation law for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, granting it protection from judicial review.
What the Letter Demands
Parameshwara's letter calls on the Centre to place Karnataka's legislation — which raised SC reservation from 15% to 17% and ST reservation from 3% to 7% — in the Ninth Schedule, shielding it from court challenge. He has also urged the introduction of a Constitutional Amendment Bill in Parliament, consultations with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, and a time-bound, coordinated response from the Union Ministries of Law and Justice, Social Justice and Empowerment, Tribal Affairs, and Home Affairs. Additionally, the letter calls for a national-level review of the existing 50% reservation ceiling, arguing that changing social conditions warrant a fresh look.
Background: The Law, the Court, and the Timeline
The Karnataka government enacted the enhanced reservation in 2022, with the legislation receiving the Governor's assent on 11 January 2023 and coming into effect retrospectively from 1 November 2022. According to the 2011 Census, SCs constitute 17.15% of Karnataka's population, while STs account for 6.95% — figures cited to justify the upward revision. The reservation levels for these communities had remained unchanged for nearly seven decades prior to the amendment.
The Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das Commission had recommended the increase and had specifically suggested placing the legislation in the Ninth Schedule. However, the Karnataka High Court struck down the enhanced reservation provisions on 12 October 2026, ruling that the cumulative reservation would rise to 56%, breaching the 50% ceiling set by the Supreme Court in its landmark Indra Sawhney judgment. The state government has since challenged the High Court's order before the Supreme Court.
Tamil Nadu Precedent Cited
Parameshwara invoked the example of Tamil Nadu, where a 69% reservation was insulated from judicial challenge through the 76th Constitutional Amendment in 1994, which placed the relevant state law in the Ninth Schedule. He argued that a similar mechanism should be extended to Karnataka's 56% reservation, framing it as a matter of constitutional equity rather than political convenience.
A Long-Pending Demand
This is not the first time Karnataka has pushed the Centre on this issue. The state government had submitted a formal proposal to the Centre on 23 March 2023. The Karnataka Legislative Assembly adopted a resolution on 18 December 2025 seeking constitutional protection for the enhanced quota. Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written to Prime Minister Modi on 16 April 2026 on the same matter. The Centre had, until now, deferred action, citing the pendency of the matter before the courts.
Parameshwara, however, argued in his letter that judicial proceedings should not become a reason to indefinitely postpone the objective of social justice, adding that both the Union and state governments share a joint responsibility to protect the educational and employment opportunities of disadvantaged communities. 'Social justice transcends political differences,' he wrote, calling for the Centre to respond positively within a stipulated timeframe.
What Happens Next
The Supreme Court challenge remains pending, and the Centre's response to the letter will be closely watched — particularly given that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and the Congress-led state government are political rivals. Any move to include the legislation in the Ninth Schedule would require a Constitutional Amendment, commanding a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament. With the reservation debate gaining renewed national salience, Parameshwara's letter adds political pressure ahead of what could become a defining social justice flashpoint in Karnataka.
Point of View
And the question is whether the BJP-led Centre has any political incentive to do so for a Congress-governed Karnataka. The 50% ceiling itself is a judicial construct, not a constitutional text, and the debate over its continued relevance is legitimate — but that national conversation is yet to find a champion at the Centre. Parameshwara's letter is as much about putting the BJP on record ahead of elections as it is about SC/ST welfare.
NationPress
14 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Karnataka SC/ST reservation hike that Dy CM Parameshwara is seeking to protect?
Karnataka enacted a law in 2022 raising SC reservation from 15% to 17% and ST reservation from 3% to 7%, taking the state's total reservation to 56%. The Karnataka High Court struck down the enhanced provisions on 12 October 2026, holding that 56% breaches the 50% ceiling, and the state has challenged this before the Supreme Court.
What is the Ninth Schedule, and why does Parameshwara want Karnataka's law included in it?
The Ninth Schedule of the Constitution lists laws that are shielded from judicial review on the grounds that they violate fundamental rights. Parameshwara argues that including Karnataka's reservation law in the Ninth Schedule would protect it from being struck down by courts, as was done for Tamil Nadu's 69% reservation through the 76th Constitutional Amendment in 1994.
What has the Centre's response been so far?
The Centre has deferred action on Karnataka's demand since the state first submitted a formal proposal on 23 March 2023, citing the pendency of the matter before the courts. The state legislature adopted a resolution on 18 December 2025 seeking protection, and former CM Siddaramaiah wrote to PM Modi on 16 April 2026 — both without a substantive Centre response.
How does Tamil Nadu's reservation compare to what Karnataka is seeking?
Tamil Nadu has a 69% reservation, which Parliament protected from legal challenge by including the relevant state law in the Ninth Schedule through the 76th Constitutional Amendment in 1994. Parameshwara is urging the Centre to extend a similar constitutional protection to Karnataka's 56% reservation.
What are Karnataka's key demands in the letter?
The five key demands are: placing the SC/ST reservation law in the Ninth Schedule; introducing a Constitutional Amendment Bill in Parliament; consulting the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes; coordinating a time-bound decision across relevant Union ministries; and initiating a national-level review of the 50% reservation ceiling.
