The Karnataka High Court struck down sections of the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
GS2Polity · Governance · IR· Constitution, amendments & basic structure· Prelims + Mains·
Judicial review of reservation policies: a key GS2 topic regarding Constitutional validity and Articles 14, 15, and 16.
Why in news
The Karnataka High Court struck down sections of the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act, 2022, for exceeding the 50 per cent reservation ceiling.
Background
A bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K S Hemalekha ruled that the Act violated Articles 14, 15, and 16. The ruling followed petitions filed by Mahendra Kumar Mitra, Sagar H R, Prajwal Kumar D, and Purushotham Gowda G M.
Facts for Prelims
- FactThe court identified a violation of the 50 per cent ceiling for reservations in the state's 2022 Act.
Prelims practice question
Which constitutional articles were cited by the Karnataka High Court as being violated by the state's reservation policy?
- (a)Articles 14, 15, and 16
- (b)Articles 21 and 22
- (c)Articles 32 and 44
- (d)Articles 51A and 52
Show answer
Answer: (a) Articles 14, 15, and 16 — The court ruled that the Act violated Articles 14, 15, and 16 by exceeding the 50 per cent reservation ceiling.
For Mains
Q. Examine the constitutional validity of state-level reservation policies in light of the 50 per cent ceiling and the principles of equality and non-discrimination.
Dimensions to cover in your answer
- Judicial oversight: Balancing state's power to provide social justice against the overarching mandate of Article 14
- Constitutional friction: Conflict between affirmative action mandates and the quantitative limits set by judicial precedents
Keywords: Affirmative Action · Constitutional Validity · Equality of Opportunity · Judicial Review · Reservation Policy
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This note is generated automatically from SatyaDheesh's news feed and mapped to the UPSC CSE syllabus. Check facts against the original report or PIB before using them in an answer.