The State government on Monday has decided to give its response to the Supreme Court suggesting upward revision of the 50% reservation limit fixed in 1992.
Sources in the Secretariat said a Cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has decided to send the government’s response to the Supreme Court for increasing the upper limit of 50% fixed in the landmark verdict in the Indira Sahwney case, also known as the Mandal verdict.
A five judge-bench of the Supreme Court, hearing a challenge to a law passed by Maharashtra in 2018 providing quota to Marathas, had said that it will examine whether the 50% rule laid by the 1992 decision needs to be reconsidered. The apex court sought responses from all states on its verdict fixing the quota at 50%.
A few days ago, Law and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai had made it clear in the Legislative Assembly that it was ‘inevitable’ to breach the 50% cap on quota if demands made by various castes are to be met in the State.
Many sub-castes, including among the dominant Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, are not only demanding reservation in government jobs and educational institutions in the State but also in Central services. Communities such as Kurubas have been demanding Scheduled Caste tag while SCs and STs have been demanding higher quota following increase in their population.
