Bengaluru, Nov 14 Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and his deputy G Parameshwara have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to amend the Constitution to include the state’s enhanced SC/ST quota in the 9th schedule.
In a letter dated November 13, Shivakumar sought Prime Minister Modi’s urgent intervention to secure constitutional protection for the enhanced quotas of 17 per cent for SCs and 7 per cent for STs in Karnataka, arguing that the aspirations of lakhs of people from these communities should not be left unaddressed following a recent Karnataka High Court judgment striking down the legislation giving enhanced reservation.
Invoking the vision of Dr B R Ambedkar, he said political democracy must be accompanied by social and economic democracy, and that equality should become a lived reality for every citizen.
“The constitutional difficulties identified by the High Court must be addressed. They must not become the reason for abandoning the aspirations of communities that have waited generations for greater educational and employment opportunities,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara has also written to Modi on November 12, besides sending separate communications to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar, seeking their intervention to secure the enhanced reservation framework.
The Karnataka High Court, in its October 12 judgment, struck down the provisions enhancing SC reservation from 15 to 17 per cent and ST reservation from 3 to 7 per cent, holding that the resulting aggregate reservation of 56 per cent exceeded the prevailing constitutional ceiling of 50 per cent. It also examined the requirement of consultation with the National Commissions for SCs and STs under Articles 338(9) and 338A(9) of the Constitution.
Both Shivakumar and Parameshwara said the state government had pursued the available appellate remedy before the Supreme Court but stressed the need for an enduring constitutional solution through appropriate legislative and constitutional processes.
The enhanced reservation was based on the recommendations of a commission headed by retired Karnataka High Court judge H N Nagamohan Das, constituted to examine the representation of SCs and STs in education and public employment.
The commission recommended increasing the quotas to 17 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively and specifically suggested placing the legislation in the Ninth Schedule to secure constitutional protection.
For nearly seven decades since 1958, reservation percentages for the two communities had remained unchanged despite an increase in their population and continuing social and educational disadvantages, Parameshwara said in his letter.
The 2011 Census recorded SCs and STs as constituting approximately 17.15 per cent and 6.95 per cent, respectively, of Karnataka’s population, he added.
The Karnataka Legislature enacted 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, which received the Governor’s assent on January 11, 2023, and came into effect retrospectively from November 1, 2022.
Citing the precedent of Tamil Nadu, Shivakumar said Parliament had included the state’s legislation providing for 69 per cent reservation in the Ninth Schedule through the Constitution (76th Amendment) Act, 1994.
“If Parliament could act to protect a reservation framework of 69% in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka’s considered request for 56% reservation, founded upon the recommendations of a judicial commission, deserves no less constitutional attention,” he said.
Shivakumar recalled that Karnataka had submitted its proposal to the Centre on March 23, 2023, followed by a resolution passed by the state Legislative Assembly on December 18, 2025. Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had also written to PM Modi on April 16, 2026, reiterating the demand.
The Union Government had informed the Lok Sabha on July 25, 2026, that it had received Karnataka’s proposal but did not consider its inclusion in the Ninth Schedule appropriate at that stage, as the matter was pending before the High Court.
Shivakumar said the judiciary’s responsibility to interpret the Constitution and Parliament’s authority to consider constitutional measures to advance social justice were complementary, not conflicting. He urged the Centre not to allow the matter to be indefinitely postponed on account of judicial proceedings.
He sought immediate and meaningful consultations with the National Commissions for SCs and STs and coordinated, time-bound examination by the Ministries of Law and Justice, Social Justice and Empowerment, Tribal Affairs and Home Affairs to address the constitutional and procedural issues identified by the High Court.
He also said the state was ready to provide empirical material, undertake further examination and extend full cooperation in developing a legally sustainable solution.
Parameshwara, meanwhile, called for a wider national consultation on the continuing relevance and application of the 50 per cent reservation ceiling, taking into account changing social realities, the experience of different states and constitutional principles of equality and affirmative action.
“This is a matter that must rise above political affiliations and differences between Governments. The cause of social justice belongs to the entire nation,” he said.
(PTI News)
