HC halts fresh recruitment under Karnataka's enhanced SC/ST quota law
Bengaluru (PTI): In a setback to the state government, the Karnataka High Court has barred it from issuing any fresh recruitment notifications in an Act which had raised quotas for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The restriction on recruitment under the Karnataka Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) (Reservation of Seats in Education Institutions and Appointments of Posts and Services under the State) Act, 2022, will remain until further orders.
However, the HC bench allowed the government to continue recruitment processes already notified before November 19, 2025, even if they follow the increased reservation percentages.
The court also clarified that all appointments made through these ongoing recruitments will be subject to the final outcome of the petitions challenging the law.
The division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Poonacha issued the interim order on November 27 while hearing two PILs filed by Mahendra Kumar Mitra of Raichur and Mahesh of Bengaluru.
The petitions question the constitutional validity of the 2022 Act, particularly the hike in SC/ST reservation, from 15 per cent to 17 per cent for SCs and from 3 per cent to 7 per cent for STs.
Other Backward Classes (OBCs) reservation continues to remain at 32 per cent, which takes over all reservations in the state to 56 per cent.
The Bench directed that all appointment or promotion orders issued under the Act must explicitly state that they are provisional and contingent on the court's final judgment, preventing candidates from claiming equity if the enhanced quotas are struck down.
The court further stated that this interim permission to continue ongoing recruitments will not override any specific interim or final orders already passed by courts or tribunals in related matters.
The government had earlier argued that halting ongoing recruitments would disrupt administrative functioning due to manpower shortages.
The petitions also contend that the increased reservation breaches the 50 per cent ceiling set by the Supreme Court in the Indra Sawhney judgment and that the State failed to consult the National Commissions for SCs and STs as mandated under Articles 338(9) and 338A(9) of the Constitution.
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Former India hockey coach Michael Nobbs dies
Melbourne (PTI): Former Australian hockey player Michael Nobbs, who coached the Indian men's team at the 2012 London Olympics, has died after a prolonged illness.
He was 72 years old and is survived by his wife Lee Capes, a former Australian women's international and daughter Kaitlin, who is a current Hockeyroos star.
"Hockey Australia extends its deepest condolences to Michael’s family, friends, former teammates, players and all those whose lives and careers were shaped by his contribution to hockey. He will be remembered as a proud Kookaburra, a respected professional, and a servant of the sport," Hockey Australia said in a statement.
Nobbs represented Australia as a defender, playing across the half-back line and at fullback, and was renowned for his reliability, fitness and professionalism. He earned 76 international caps for Australia between 1979 and 1985, scoring one goal, and was a member of one of the strongest eras in Australian men’s hockey, said Hockey Australia on its website in its tribute.
Nobbs was an integral part of the Australian teams that competed at the 1981 Hockey World Cup in Bombay and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
While part of a generation widely regarded as one of Australia’s finest, he consistently held his place through hard work, discipline and trust earned from teammates and coaches, Hockey Australia wrote.
Nobbs took over the coaching of the Indian men's team in 2011 after it had failed to qualify for the Beijing Games in 2008. While India were brilliant in the qualifiers, the team finished last at the London extravaganza which also expedited the Australian coach's sacking.
Apart from India, Nobbs also coached Japan.
