The Karnataka High Court has temporarily halted the state government from issuing any new recruitment notifications under the 2022 law that enhanced reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, delivering a significant legal setback to the administration.

The interim stay applies to the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and Appointments of Posts and Services) Act, 2022, and will remain in force until further orders.

Despite the pause, the Bench permitted the government to continue with recruitment processes advertised before November 19, 2025, even if they apply the enhanced quotas. However, the court made it clear that all resulting appointments will be provisional and subject to the outcome of the ongoing litigation.

The direction was issued by a division bench led by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C. M. Poonacha on November 27 while hearing two public interest litigations filed by petitioners Mahendra Kumar Mitra of Raichur and Mahesh of Bengaluru.

The petitions challenge the constitutional validity of the reservation hike — from 15% to 17% for SCs and 3% to 7% for STs — arguing that the move pushes total reservation in Karnataka to 56%, breaching the 50% cap established by the Supreme Court in the landmark Indra Sawhney judgment.

The petitioners also argue that the state bypassed mandatory constitutional procedure by failing to consult the National Commissions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, as required under Articles 338(9) and 338A(9).

In its order, the court directed that all appointment or promotion orders issued under the Act must explicitly mention their provisional status, ensuring beneficiaries cannot seek protection on grounds of equity if the law is ultimately struck down.

The Bench further clarified that its interim relief does not override earlier judicial orders—interim or final—issued in related matters by other courts or tribunals.

The state government earlier argued that halting recruitment would hamper administration due to staffing shortages, but the court declined to pause ongoing legal scrutiny of the legislation.

The case now moves to the next phase of hearings, with the legality of Karnataka’s expanded reservation framework hanging in balance—alongside thousands of potential public sector appointments.