Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has received a writ petition challenging the State Cabinet’s decision to approve the sub-categorisation of 101 Scheduled Castes into three distinct groups for internal reservation. The petition has been filed by the Banjar, Bhovi, Korama, and Koracha communities, who have objected to the classification system adopted by the state government.
The petition, filed by Shamarao K. Pawar on behalf of the Banjar, Bhovi, Korama, Koracha Samaj Kalyan Sangha, contests the Cabinet decision made on August 19, 2025, which was based on the report submitted by Justice H. Nagamohan Das Commission.
The petition names the Chief Secretary, the Principal Secretary of the Social Welfare Department, and the Chairperson of the Karnataka SC/ST Commission as respondents. The matter is expected to be listed for hearing soon.
Cabinet Decision Challenged
According to the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission report, the Cabinet had revised the classification of 101 Scheduled Castes into three groups — Left-Hand, Right-Hand, and Touchables — for equitable internal reservation distribution.
Under the revised structure, the 17% reservation available for Scheduled Castes was divided as follows:
- 6% for Left-Hand communities
- 6% for Right-Hand communities
- 5% for the Touchables group, which includes Koracha, Korama, Bhovi, and Lambani (Banjar) communities.
Challenging this division, the petitioner argued that the categorisation was discriminatory and detrimental to the interests of certain communities within the Scheduled Caste umbrella. The High Court will soon take up the plea for preliminary hearing.
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