'Religion-based quota unconstitutional': Karnataka govt defends move to end Muslim quota in SC
New Delhi, Apr 26: The Karnataka government has told the Supreme Court it has taken a "conscious decision" to not continue with reservation on the sole basis of religion as it is unconstitutional and it has therefore scrapped the provision of 4 per cent quota for the Muslim community.
The state government filed its reply to a batch of petitions challenging its two orders dated March 27, scrapping the 4 per cent quota for Muslims in 2B category of the 'Other Backward Castes' and granting benefits of increased quota to Vokkaligas and Lingayats in admissions and appointments to government jobs.
"The state government took a conscious decision to not continue with the reservation on the sole basis of religion as the same is unconstitutional and contrary to the mandate of Article 14 to 16 of the Constitution of India. Therefore, vide two orders dated March 27, 2023, four per cent reservation in favour of Muslim community was deleted and the members of the Muslim community were now allowed to claim benefit of reservation under EWS scheme which is at 10 percent," it said.
On Tuesday, the top court said Karnataka's earlier regime granting 4 per cent reservation to Muslims will continue till May 9, the eve of polling for assembly elections, after the state government sought more time to file its reply. The court will hear the matter again on May 9.
In its reply, the state government said reservation solely on the basis of religion is also contrary to the principles of social justice and the concept of social justice aims to protect those who are deprived and discriminated against within the society.
"Including within the said ambit an entire religion would be an antithesis to the concept of social justice and the ethos of the Constitution. It is humbly submitted that therefore reservation cannot be extended to any community on the sole basis of religion", it said, adding that the provision of reservation on the basis of religion would also be contrary to the concept of secularism.
The state government in a lengthy affidavit said the petitioners have sought to give a "colour to the exercise" in question which is completely baseless.
"The timing of the decision, etc are immaterial without the Petitioners clearly demonstrating that the reservation on the basis of religion is constitutional and permissible. Merely because reservations have been provided in the past on the basis of religion, the same is no ground for continuing the same for perpetuity, more so when the same is on the basis of an unconstitutional principle," it said.
The state government said historically, Karnataka has adopted conscious governance initiatives through affirmative action to address social and economic backwardness and to make public service more inclusive and representative of the population.
It referred to three Backward Classes Commission reports and said as far as the reservation solely on the basis of religion is concerned, it is submitted that the same is not justified.
The state government in its affidavit filed through advocate Shubhranshu Padhi said that the initial inclusion of Muslim community into the category of other backward classes in 1979 was contrary to the recommendations of the first backward class commission headed by LG Havanur.
"The said inclusion has thereafter been continued subsequently primarily on the ground of economic backwardness. It is pertinent to state that the constitutional scheme at that stage did not contemplate reservations to economically weaker sections. The said position has continued up till the Government Order dated March 30, 2002", it said, adding that in contradistinction to the backward castes/classes who were Muslims who were provided reservation in category I, the entire religion has been added in category II B.
The state government added it is pertinent to note that the groups within the Muslim Community who were found to be backward and found mention in Group I of the 2002 reservation order continue to enjoy the benefits of reservation.
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"Apart from the same, the State Government created Category II-C and II-D of reservations. The category II-C consisted of communities including Vokkaliga Community which was earlier in the form of group III-A. Similarly there was a newly created II-D group consisting of all those communities from III-B including Lingayat community. The reservation of Category II-C and II-D was provided at 6 per cent and 7 per cent respectively", it said.
The state government said that it was done as it was part of a long standing demand by members of the said communities (Vokkaliga and Lingayat) who have been agitating for the rights of members of their communities and they were also part of the earlier reservation granted in 2002.
"As such, the Petitioner herein has no locus to question the inclusion or grant of benefits to any other community more so those who were not conferred the benefits on the basis of religion. To that extent, the present Writ Petition merits to be dismissed", it said.
The state government said the power to classify a group of citizens as Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) has to be constitutionally exercised in accordance with the provisions of Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution of India.
"Assuming for the moment that any of the commissions had recommended for the inclusion of Muslims as Backward castes, the same does not denude the power of the State Government to take a decision in accordance with law. The power there under is a constitutionally conferred power conferred upon the State Government to provide for protection to the Backward Classes," it said.
It said, therefore, the exercise of power to provide for reservations emanate from Articles 15 and 16 and the same can be done by executive instructions, which amount to law within the meaning of Article 13 of the Constitution of India.
At the fag end of its term, the BJP government on March 24 decided to abolish the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims under 2-B category. The 4 per cent was later split into two and distributed among Vokkaligas in 2-C category and Lingayats in 2-D category.
Muslims eligible for quotas were categorised under the economically weaker sections.
The state government's decision has pushed the reservation limit to around 57 per cent now.
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TraceX Guard Strengthens National Safety Against Mobile Cyber Threats
India is witnessing a sharp rise in trojanised Android APK scams, as cybercriminals increasingly exploit fake government, banking, LPG, challan, and welfare scheme apps to seize full remote control of victims’ smartphones.
Cybersecurity investigators warn that attackers are now widely deploying Remote Access Trojan (RAT) malware, often powered by leaked builder kits such as CraxsRAT and heavily modified custom payload frameworks. Once installed, these malicious APKs can convert an ordinary Android phone into a fully controlled fraud device, enabling silent surveillance, banking theft, and mass scam propagation.
These malware campaigns are primarily being distributed through WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS phishing links, and fake APK download websites, where users are tricked into installing apps disguised as:
- e-Challan apps
- SBI KYC verification tools
- PM Yojana portals
- mParivahan clones
- LPG booking apps
- fake adult video call apps
As the scale of the threat intensifies, cybersecurity startup TraceX Labs has introduced TraceX Guard, positioning it as a frontline mobile defence platform against APK fraud, RAT infections, QR scams, and malicious permission abuse.
Fear-Based Social Engineering Behind the Surge
According to investigators, these frauds typically begin with panic-driven social engineering messages sent over WhatsApp or Telegram.
Common bait messages include:
- Your traffic challan has been issued
- Your SBI KYC is pending
- PM Yojana verification required
- Your LPG cylinder booking failed
- Your bank account will be blocked
These alerts often include fake challan numbers, vehicle details, Aadhaar-linked references, or forged bank notices, creating a sense of urgency that pushes victims to install the malicious APK without verification.
One of the most dangerous variants currently in circulation is a fake mParivahan-style application, which closely mimics India’s legitimate transport services interface while secretly embedding a hidden RAT payload.
How the Malware Takes Over Smartphones
Once installed, the malicious APK immediately requests dangerous permissions, including:
- Accessibility access
- SMS permissions
- Call logs
- Notifications
- File storage
- Battery optimization exemptions
Security researchers say Accessibility Service abuse remains the most critical attack vector, allowing the malware to silently:
- read screen contents
- detect banking and UPI apps
- auto-click Allow / Confirm / Pay buttons
- capture OTPs
- launch hidden overlays
- navigate banking sessions
- trigger silent fund transfers
Because these actions occur directly on the victim’s trusted device, attackers are often able to bypass traditional fraud detection systems.
Within minutes, victims may lose control over:
- bank balances
- UPI wallets
- Aadhaar and PAN scans
- contact lists
- personal photos and media
- incoming calls
- SMS OTPs
In many cases, the malware also self-propagates by forwarding malicious APK links through the victim’s own WhatsApp groups and Telegram chats, triggering a chain infection effect across trusted social circles.Fake RTO Challan APKs Become the Most Dangerous Variant
Among the most active campaigns, fake RTO challan APK scams have emerged as one of the most financially destructive.
Victims are first lured into paying a ₹1 “verification fee”, after which the malicious app requests highly sensitive information such as:
- card number
- expiry date
- CVV
- UPI PIN
- net banking credentials
- even ATM PINs
Cybersecurity experts stress that no legitimate government payment system ever asks for an ATM PIN inside an app, making this an immediate red flag.
Once payment details are entered, the embedded RAT intercepts OTPs and silently completes unauthorized transactions.
India’s Mobile Fraud Crisis Reaches Critical Levels
Investigators estimate that more than 70% of reported cyber fraud cases in India now originate from mobile devices, with millions of complaints linked to:
- malicious APKs
- phishing URLs
- QR scams
- RAT droppers
- banking session hijacks
- WhatsApp fraud chains
The impact is particularly severe across Tier-2 and Tier-3 regions, where smartphone adoption has expanded faster than awareness around:
- APK sideloading risks
- dangerous permissions
- fake banking overlays
- accessibility abuse
- WhatsApp APK scams
This has effectively turned Android smartphones into the primary battlefield of India’s financial cybercrime ecosystem.
TraceX Guard Introduced as a Real-Time Defence Layer
In response to this rapidly evolving threat landscape, TraceX Labs has launched TraceX Guard, an AI-powered multilingual Android security suite built specifically for India’s APK fraud ecosystem.
The platform offers:
- real-time APK scanning
- malicious permission detection
- hidden app discovery
- RAT behaviour monitoring
- QR & phishing URL safety grading
- OTP and SIM fraud alerts
- Wi-Fi hotspot verification
- ransomware defence
- India-specific scam intelligence feeds
- support for 10+ regional languages
Its offline-first AI architecture allows users to scan threats without uploading personal data, making it especially useful for privacy-conscious users and low-connectivity regions.
TraceX Labs says the system is specifically trained to detect patterns used in:
- fake challan scams
- counterfeit SBI APKs
- PM Yojana malware
- wedding invitation APK attacks
- honey-trap adult apps
- Telegram-based RAT droppers
From Phishing to Malware-Driven Financial Warfare
Cybersecurity analysts say this marks a major shift in India’s digital threat landscape.
What once began as simple phishing links has now evolved into malware-driven financial warfare at scale, where a single infected smartphone can silently compromise:
- families
- WhatsApp groups
- banking accounts
- local communities
- social trust networks
With losses from mobile-first fraud already running into tens of thousands of crores, experts believe the future of cyber defence will increasingly depend on preventive mobile security tools capable of stopping unsafe APKs before installation.
In that battle, TraceX Guard is emerging as one of the most important first lines of defence for India’s digital users.
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