Legislation providing internal quota to Scheduled Castes on hold?

More than a month after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot gave his assent to the Karnataka Scheduled Castes (Subclassification) Bill, 2025, which provides for internal reservation among 101 Scheduled Castes within the 17% SC reservation quota, the State government is yet to promulgate the same.

It is learned that the government has put the legislation on hold for now due to potential legal challenges as well as pressure from those opposed to the existing internal reservation matrix.

“The government is unlikely to gazette the Bill before an agreement is reached on internal reservation between the Dalit Left and Dalit Right factions,” sources said. Hindu.

Meanwhile, due to the Model Code of Conduct for by-elections in Bagalkot and Davangere South Assembly constituencies, the special Cabinet meeting scheduled for March 27 to reach consensus on internal reservation had to be postponed.

Law Department sources admitted that legislation is normally gazetted immediately after receiving the Governor’s assent and rules are framed for implementation of the Act.

The law can only be put into practice after it is published in the newspaper.

Remarks

While the bill was passed during the Winter Session in Belagavi in ​​December 2025, the Governor had sent back the bill to seek some clarifications provided by the government. The governor gave his approval on February 28 after the group of Dalit Ministers met to apprise him of the pressure on the government to initiate the recruitment drive.

The legislation provides for internal reservation among the Scheduled Castes, with the Dalit Left (Madiga) and Dalit Right (Holeyas) getting 6%, and the “touchable” castes of Lambanis, Bhovis, Koramas and Korachas, along with 59 nomadic communities, who get 5% within the 17% reservation quota for SCs.

After the governor’s approval, it was learned that the law had not yet reached the Social Welfare Department and that it had to publish it in the official gazette. Sources said the Ministry of Law and Parliamentary Affairs is yet to send the legislation after considering various legal aspects related to the reservation issue.

“The Law Department should review the Supreme Court stay on new appointments under the 17% reservation,” another government source said.

legal issues

Currently, several cases related to SC reservation are pending in the Karnataka High Court. The increase in reservation quota for SCs from 15% to 17% and for STs from 3% to 7% was questioned, violating the 50% reservation ceiling mandated by the Supreme Court. The nomadic communities also approached the court against the government’s decision not to provide them with a separate internal reservation category as recommended by the HN Nagamohan Das Commission. Currently, the government groups nomadic castes into Category C, along with the relatively better-off “touchable” castes.

Legal challenges have also affected public recruitment and the government recently had to face the anger of the youth, forcing it to announce 56,432 recruitments.

According to another source, the government also expects legal challenges in the recruitment process. “The government wants to start the recruitment drive with 15 percent reservation. Although internal reservation has not been notified, the Dalit Left is determined on this issue. If the law comes into force at 17 percent with internal reservation, there may be legal difficulties,” sources said.