Former MP and Congress leader VS Ugrappa. | Photo credit: file photo
Ahead of the Karnataka government’s plan to fill 56,432 posts in various departments in a major recruitment drive, youth from Scheduled Tribes fear reduced opportunities due to restrictions on ST reservations. In an attempt to resolve the legal issues, the state government has decided to revert to the 3% reservation for STs that existed before 2022, from the proposed increase to 7%.
The demand for increased reservation – in proportion to the homeless population – was more than two decades old as the ST population in Karnataka grew with the inclusion of more communities.
From six in the original 1950 list of STs in Karnataka (when the estimated population based on the 1931 census was about 0.8%), the list now has 51 tribes, including particularly vulnerable tribal groups estimated to be more than 7% of the state’s population. The state government in 1958 fixed the reservation quota for STs at 3% based on their then population.
A long pending request
“Over the decades, the population has increased as more tribes have been included. The increase is based on the directions of the Karnataka High Court and the recommendations of the HN Nagamohan Das Commission,” pointed out former MP VS Ugrappa.
The increase in the number of tribes and the subsequent increase in the ST population began after the enactment of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Amendment) Act, 1976, which removed the geographical restrictions associated with castes/tribes, leading to an extraordinary increase in the ST population.
“For example, before the amendment, earlier only Naikas in Belagavi were on the list. Once the restrictions were removed, Naikas across the state also became eligible,” Mr. Ugrappa, the Congress spokesperson, pointed out.
Synonymous names
The biggest jump in population was after 1991, when the Center listed Naikas/Valmikis/Bedas, making them the dominant tribes among the 51 tribes. Subsequently, several other tribes with synonymous names were also listed and the 3% reservation granted in 1955 was much less than the population.
When the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and Appointments or Posts in Civil Services) Act was passed in 2022 giving 17% and 7% to SCs and STs, the reasons given were increased population, backwardness and under-representation in government employment and education.
In 2015, the Karnataka High Court ordered the state government to consider increasing reservations for STs.
Go back
“After giving reasonable caveat, the state government decided to bring the tribals back to where they were. Legally, the government did not represent the case well. Two parliamentary seats and 15 assembly seats are reserved for STs in Karnataka, which is proportional to the population. Similarly, seats are reserved in local bodies,” he added.
(This is the first of a two-part series)
Published – 13 May 2026 21:11 IST
