Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Sunday approved an Ordinance to increase reservations in the state for Scheduled Caste from 15% to 17%, and Scheduled Tribes from 3% to 7%, PTI reported.

The decision to introduce the Ordinance was taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai on Thursday. The Cabinet had on October 8 granted formal approval to increase the reservation.

An Ordinance is a temporary law passed by the president or a governor when Parliament or a state Assembly is not in session. Once passed, the Assembly will have six months to approve it, failing which it will cease to be in effect.

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It remains unclear whether the government plans to adjust the increase in the quota within the Supreme Court mandated limit of 50%. If not, the total reservation in Karnataka will increase to 56%.

At present, Karnataka provides 15% reservation for Scheduled Castes, 3% for Scheduled Tribes, and 32% for the Other Backward Classes, which adds up to 50%.

On October 8, Bommai had said that the decision of the state government would get legal protection if the hiked quota is included under Schedule 9 of the Constitution, according to The Indian Express.

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The Ninth Schedule of the Constitution contains a list of central and state laws which cannot be challenged in courts.

On Sunday, Bommai said the Ordinance will be tabled in both Houses of the Karnataka Assembly.

“Our government marched ahead with a commitment to increase the reservation,” Bommai said. “This is a gift from our government to the SC/STs.”

The increase in the reservation was recommended by a commission headed by a retired judge of Karnataka High Court Justice HN Nagamohan Das in 2020.

According to The Indian Express, the Bommai government was under pressure from lawmakers of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes community to implement the commission’s report. The decision also comes a year ahead of Assembly elections in the state.