Karnataka govt to submit report on quota to SC before March 23

BENGALURU: The State Government will submit a report to the Supreme Court after an in-depth examination of all aspects related to protecting the Constitutionally-provided reservation to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, Home Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, on Saturday. 

After  meeting Backward Classes Commission Chairman Jayaprakash Hegde, Backward Classes Welfare Department Principal Secretary Rashmi Mahesh, Advocate-General Prabhulinga Navadgi and legal experts, he said the Supreme Court is looking into the issue of increase in quota above the 50 per cent limit by the Maharashtra government and it has sought opinion from states. It is also transferring the case to a larger bench. 

In the Indra Sawhney judgment, the SC has capped reservations at 50%. But state governments have the right to increase it by making some amendments and the court has sought states’ views on all those aspects, he said. “The State Government will give the report to SC after examining if 50% reservation is adequate and if demands of all could be met,” he said.

The government will give its report to the SC before March 23.  Earlier, Bommai told TNSE that those who have already got reservation want more quota.  “Those who are not in a particular category like 2A, want to be part of it. The SCs and STs want their quota increased. There is a lot of flux. All these actions are inter-dependent,” he said.