Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has approved internal reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs), adopting key recommendations of the Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das Commission with certain modifications. The decision was presented in the Legislative Assembly by Chief Minister, who emphasized that the move would uphold social justice, equality, and constitutional rights.
Supreme Court Basis for Sub-Classification
Referring to the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment (Punjab vs. Devinder Singh, August 1, 2024), the CM said the verdict clearly empowers states to create sub-classification within Scheduled Castes to ensure substantive equality. Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution, he said, fully permit states to design internal quota systems that strengthen the spirit of equality.
Formation of Commission and Data Collection
The Karnataka government had set up a one-member commission under Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das on November 12, 2024, to study the issue and recommend measures. After surveying 101 SC communities and collecting data from over 1.05 crore people, the commission submitted its report on August 1, 2025. Around 93% of the SC population was covered in the study.
ಆಗಸ್ಟ್ 19ರಂದು ನಡೆದ ಸಚಿವ ಸಂಪುಟದಲ್ಲಿ ಜಸ್ಟೀಸ್ ನಾಗಮೋಹನ್ ದಾಸ್ ಅವರ ಆಯೋಗವು ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿದ್ದ ಶಿಫಾರಸ್ಸುಗಳನ್ನು ಕೆಲವು ಮಾರ್ಪಾಟುಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಅಂಗೀಕರಿಸಿ, ಎಡಗೈ ಸಂಬಂಧಿತ ಜಾತಿಗಳುಳ್ಳ 'ಎ' ಪ್ರವರ್ಗಕ್ಕೆ – ಶೇ. 6, ಬಲಗೈ ಸಂಬಂಧಿತ ಜಾತಿಗಳುಳ್ಳ 'ಬಿ' ಪ್ರವರ್ಗಕ್ಕೆ – ಶೇ. 6 ಹಾಗೂ 'ಸಿ' ಪ್ರವರ್ಗಕ್ಕೆ – ಶೇ.5 ರಷ್ಟು ಒಳಮೀಸಲಾತಿ ನೀಡಲು… pic.twitter.com/WbgPvxCNO0
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) August 20, 2025
Cabinet Decisions on Reservation Split
In its meeting on August 19, 2025, the Cabinet approved the following key measures:
- Left-Hand Related Communities: 6% reservation.
- Right-Hand Related Communities: 6% reservation, after separating Paraya, Mogera and others into this group.
- Adi Karnataka, Adi Andhra, Adi Dravida Groups: Population of 4.74 lakh to be equally divided between Left-Hand and Right-Hand categories.
- Touchables + Sub-Group of 59 Castes: Combined 5% reservation, instead of separate 4% and 1% as earlier proposed.
- Revised Categories: Instead of A, B, C, D, E as suggested, Cabinet finalized three categories –
- Category A (Left-Hand Communities) – 6%
- Category B (Right-Hand Communities) – 6%
- Category C (Other Groups) – 5%
The CM clarified that the changes were made in line with Supreme Court principles and to ensure fair opportunities in education, employment, and welfare benefits across all 101 SC communities.
Additional Decisions
- A Permanent SC Commission will be set up to review caste mobility and update data periodically.
- Recruitment processes will resume immediately after the order is issued, with a one-time age relaxation.
- All cases filed against internal reservation activists will be withdrawn.
- Future modifications, if required, will be based on Census data.
The CM concluded that the move delivers justice to decades of SC struggles and proves that Karnataka remains a leader in social justice reforms.
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