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Karnataka moves Supreme Court against HC order striking down SC/ST quota hike
Why in News?
Can a State exceed the reservation limit? Ninth Schedule question behind Karnataka's SC/ST quota case
State challenges HC verdict on SC/ST quota hike in the Supreme Court.
Why it matters: factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 min read
The Karnataka government has approached the Supreme Court against a High Court order that struck down the hike in the reservation quota for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The matter raises questions on the limits of reservation and the role of the Ninth Schedule.
Sources: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
Key facts
Remember these
- Karnataka has moved the Supreme Court against a High Court order striking down the hike in the SC/ST reservation quota.
- The case raises the question of the limits of reservation and the role of the Ninth Schedule.
- Indra Sawhney (1992) set the 50 per cent ceiling on reservation, allowing exceptions only in extraordinary situations.
- Article 31B protects laws placed in the Ninth Schedule; I.R. Coelho (2007) held such laws are open to judicial review if they violate the basic structure.
- Articles 15(4) and 16(4) enable the State to make special provisions and reservation in appointments for backward classes.
Prelims · Mains
How the exam will ask it
Prelims
- Laws placed in the Ninth Schedule under Article 31B are not immune from judicial review if they violate the basic structure of the Constitution.
- Article 16(4) empowers the State to provide reservation in appointments for any backward class that is not adequately represented in State services.
- The 50 per cent ceiling on reservation was laid down by the Supreme Court in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992).
- Article 15(4) permits special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes and for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Mains
GS Paper 2 (Polity, Governance, federalism and the judiciary). Issue: a State's hike in SC/ST reservation has been struck down by the High Court and is now before the Supreme Court. Provision: Articles 15(4), 16(4), 31B and the Ninth Schedule, read with the Indra Sawhney ceiling and the I.R. Coelho basic-structure test. Implication: the case tests how far a State can go beyond the ceiling and whether the Ninth Schedule can shield such a law. Way forward: back any hike with quantifiable data on representation and backwardness, and seek an authoritative Supreme Court ruling to settle the limits.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
Karnataka has moved the Supreme Court against a High Court order striking down the increased reservation quota for which groups?
- Other Backward Classes
- Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
- Economically Weaker Sections
- Religious minorities
Show answer
Answer: B — Correct: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes — the State appealed against the High Court order that struck down the hike in the SC/ST quota. • Other Backward Classes — wrong: the challenged order concerns the SC/ST quota hike, not the OBC quota. • Economically Weaker Sections — wrong: EWS reservation is a separate 10 per cent central provision and is not the subject of this appeal. • Religious minorities — wrong: the appeal does not concern religious minorities; it concerns SC/ST reservation.
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