The KARNATAKA SOCIAL BOYCOTT (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION AND REDRESSAL) ACT, 2025

KARNATAKA ACT NO. 18 OF 2026 
 
THE KARNATAKA SOCIAL BOYCOTT (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION AND 
REDRESSAL) ACT, 2025 
Arrangement of Sections 
 
Sections: 
1. Short title and commencement 
2. Definitions 
3. Social boycott 
4. Prohibition of Social boycott 
5. Punishment for Social boycott 
6. Prohibition on assembling for imposing social boycott 
7. Punishment for aiding or abetting the offence 
8. Previous actions of Social Boycott to be void 
9. Victim to be heard on sentence  
10. Offences to be cognizable and bailable  
11. Compounding of offence  
12. Procedure to be followed upon receiving complaint 
13. Police officer to take action 
14. Power to prevent certain acts 
15. Social boycott prohibition officer 
16. Functions of social boycott prohibition officer 
17. Compensation to Victim 
18. Act not in derogation of any other law 
19. Framing charges under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023  
20. Power to make rules 
21. Power to remove difficulties 
 
 
STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS 
Act No 18 of 2026.- It has been observed that the unconstitutional 
practices such as boycotts , imposition of various punishments by extra 
judicial bodies such as caste or community panchayats etc., are still in 
practice in various communities in the State, resulting in great harassment 
to individuals or groups in leading their lives with dignity. This has adverse 
effects on the social life of the community and has given rise to ill feelings and 
disharmony in the society. It is therefore necessary to eradicate these evil and 
unconstitutional practices from the society. 
The existing laws are found to be inadequate in dealing with such 
practices. The Government therefore considers it expedient to enact a 
legislation for the said purpose. It is accordingly proposed to prevent the evil 
practices of imposition of social boyco tt, social discrimination and social 
disabilities at various levels by caste or community panchayaths or by its 
members and punishment for such social boycott. It is also proposed to 
appoint the social boycott prohibition officer. 
 Hence, the Bill. 
[L.A. Bill No. 82 of 2025, File No. SAMVYASHAE 95 SHASANA 2025]  
[Entries 5 and 23 of List III of the Seventh Schedule and Articles 14, 16 and 
21 of the Constitution of India]  
[Published in K arnataka Gazette Extra -ordinary No.58 in part -IVA 
dated:12.01.2026] 
  
 
KARNATAKA ACT NO. 18 OF 2026 
 
(First Published in the Karnataka Gazette Extra-ordinary on the 12th Day of  January 2026) 
 
 
 
THE KARNATAKA SOCIAL BOYCOTT (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION AND 
REDRESSAL) ACT, 2025 
 (Received the assent of the Governor on the 09th day of January, 2026) 
 
An Act to provide for the prohibition of social boycott of a person or 
group of persons including their family members  and for matters connected 
therewith or incidental thereto; 
Whereas promoting amongst the citizens fraternity, assuring the dignity 
of individual is enshrined as one of the goal in the Preamble to the 
Constitution of India; 
And whereas the social boycott of any person or a group of persons is 
violation of the fundamental rights enshrined in part-III of the Constitution; 
And whereas it has been observed that the inhuman practice of social 
boycott boycott of a person or group of persons including their family 
members still persists in some parts of the State; 
And whereas it appears that the existing laws have been proved to be 
not effective in total elimination of the evil of social boycott of a person or 
group of persons including their family members; 
And whereas it is necessary to prohibit social boycott as a matter of 
social reform in the interest of public welfare; 
And whereas with a view to ensure that the people in the State live in 
harmony with their human rights, it is expedient to provide for the prohibition 
of social boycott of a person or group of persons including their family 
members, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto;  
 Be it enacted by the Karnataka Legislature in the Seventy sixth year of 
the Republic of India as follows:- 
1. Short title and commencement.- (1) This Act may be called the 
Karnataka Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2025. 
(2) It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, 
by notification, appoint.  
2. Definitions.- (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,- 
(a) “Caste Panchayat” means a Committee or a body formed 
by a group of persons belonging to any community, 
whether registered or not, whether formal or  informal, 
which functions within the community to regulate various 
practices in the same community, controls personal and 
social behavior of any member and collectively resolves or 
decides any disputes amongst its members including their 
families, by issuing oral or written dictums, whether called 
as a “panchayat” or by any other name or description; 
 (b) “Community” in relation to a Caste Panchayat means a 
group, the members of which are connected together by 
reason of the fact that by birth, conversion or the 
performance of any religious rites or ceremonies, they 
belong to the same religion or religious creed, caste or sub-
caste; 
(c) “Social Boycott” means the gesture or an act, whether 
oral or written, of any social discrimination between the 
members of the community specified in section 3; 
(d) “Government” means the Government of Karnataka; 
(e) “Human rights” shall have the same meaning as assigned 
to it in clause (d) of  sub-section (1) of  section 2  of the 
Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 (Central Act 10 of 
1994); 
(f) “Member” means a person who is a member of any 
community; 
(g)  “Prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this 
Act; 
(h) “Social Boycott Prohibition Officer”  means an officer 
designated as such under section 15; and 
 (i) “Victim” means an  individual who has suffered or 
experienced physical or monetary harm or harm to his 
property as a result of the commi ssion of social boycott 
and includes his relatives, legal guardian and legal heirs. 
(2) Words and expressions used but not defined in this Act but defined 
in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Central Act 45 of 2023), the Bharatiya 
Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (Central Act 47 of 2023), the Bharatiya Nagarik 
Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Central Act 46 of 2023) or the Protection of Human 
Rights Act, 1993, (Central Act 10 of 1994) as the case may be, shall be deemed 
to have the meaning respectively assigned to them under those enactments.  
3. Social boycott.- Any member who commits any of the following act 
shall be deemed to have imposed social boycott on another  member  of his  
community, if as per the decision of caste panchayath, he- 
(i) refuses to deal with, work for hire or do business with other 
person or; 
(ii) denies opportunities including access to services or contractual 
opportunities for rendering service for consideration or; 
(iii) refuses to do anything  on the terms on which things would be 
commonly done in the ordinary course of business or; 
(iv) abstains from the professional or business relations that one 
would maintain with other person or; 
(v) prevents or obstructs or causes to prevent or obstructs 
any member of his community from observing any social  
or religious custom or usage or ceremony or from taking 
part in a social, religious or community functions, 
congregation, assembly, meeting or procession; 
(vi) refuses or denies or causes to refuse or deny any member 
of his community the right to perform marriage, funeral or 
other religious ceremonies and rites which the members 
of his own community usually and ordinarily perform; 
(vii) commits or causes to commit social ostracism on any 
grounds; 
(viii) shuns or refuses any member of his community from 
engaging in the society or cut-off social or commercial ties 
with such member resulting in making the life of such 
member miserable; 
(ix) prevents or obstructs or causes to prevent or obstruct any 
member of his community from having access to or from 
using any place used or intende d to be used for a 
charitable, religious or public purpose which is 
established or maintained wholly or partly by his own 
community for and on behalf of the community out of the 
funds of such community and is normally available for use 
to or by any other member of his own community; 
(x) prevents or obstructs or causes to prevent or obstruct any 
member of his community from having access to or using 
the facilities of any school, educational institution, 
medical institution, community hall, club hall, cemetery, 
burial ground or any other place used by, or intended to 
be used by, or for the benefit of, his community; or any 
other public place; 
(xi) prevents or obstructs or causes to prevent or obstruct  any 
member of his community from enjoying any benefit 
under a chari table trust created  for the benefit of his 
community; 
(xii) incites or provokes or encourages any member of his 
community, directly or indirectly, to sever social, religious, 
professional or business relations with any other member 
or members of his community; 
(xiii) prevents or obstructs or causes to prevent or obstruct any 
member of his community from entering, lodging in or 
otherwise using any place of worship or pilgrimage, which 
is ordinarily open to the members of his community; 
(xiv) prevents or obstructs or causes to prevent or obstruct any 
member of his community from establishing or 
maintaining such social, professional or business 
relations as he would ordinarily establish or maintain with 
other members of his community; 
(xv) prevents or obstructs or causes to prevent or obstruct any 
children of his community from playing together with the 
children of specific family or families in the community; 
(xvi) obstructs or denies or causes to obstruct or deny any 
member of his community from enjoying human rights; 
(xvii) discriminates or cau ses to discriminate amongst the 
members of the community on the basis of morality, social 
acceptance, political inclination, sexuality or any other 
basis; 
(xviii) creates or causes to create cultural obstacle or compel any 
member of his community to wear any parti cular type of 
clothes or use any specific language; 
(xix) expels or causes to expel any member of his community 
from the said community ; and 
(xx) commits any other similar acts which amount to and 
social boycott. 
4. Prohibition of Social boycott.- The social boycott is hereby 
prohibited and its commission and practice shall be an offence. 
5. Punishment for Social boycott. - Any person  who imposes or causes 
to impose or practices any  social boycott on any member of his community, shall, 
on conviction, be punished with imprisonment of either description, which may 
extend to three years, or with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with 
both.  
Explanation I.— A person who uses or causes to use his power to influence 
other members of the Caste Panchayat which in its meeting has voted for imposition 
of social boycott, though not present in such meeting shall be deemed to have 
committed the offence under this section. 
 Explanation II .— Where at the meeeting of the caste panchayat, the 
resolution to impose social boycott has been passed, every member who has voted in 
favour of such decision or has participated in the deliberations of the meeting, when 
such resolution was moved, shall b e deemed to have committed the offence under 
this section. 
6. Prohibition on assembling for imposing social boycott. - No 
person or group of persons shall gather, assemble or congregate at any time 
and at any place with the view or intention to deliberate on issue of imposing 
social boycott on any member of the community; such gathering or assembly 
or congregation shall be treated as an unlawful assembly and every person 
convening and organizing such assembly and every member thereof 
participating therein shall be punishable with fine which may extend to one 
lakh rupees. 
7. Punishment for aiding or abetting the offence.- Every person who 
aids or abets the commission of an offence under section 4 shall be punished 
with imprisonment which may extend to three ye ars, or with fine which may 
extend to one lakh rupees or with both. 
8. Previous actions of Social Boycott to be void. - (1) Any action of 
social boycott, on the date of commencement of this Act shall, with effect from 
the date of such commencement, be void and be of no effect. 
(2) Any caste Panchayat, which imposes or cause s to impose social 
boycott shall be deemed to have committed an offence under section 4 and 
shall be liable to be punished under section 5. 
9. Victim to be heard on sentence. - If the accused is convicted, the 
Court shall, hear the victim on the quantum of sentence and then only pass 
the sentence. 
 
 
10. Offences to be cognizable and bailable. - Any offence punishable 
under this Act shall be cognizable and bailable and triable by a Judicial 
Magistrate of the first  class. 
11. Compounding of offence.- The offence punishable under this Act 
may, with the consent of the victim and with the permission of the court, be 
compounded: 
Provided that, the Court shall, by an order, grant permission for 
compounding of offence subject to the condition of performance of such 
community services to be rendered by the accused person, as the court may 
think fit. 
12. Procedure to be followed upon receiving complaint .- (1) The 
victim or any member of his family may file a complaint either to the police or 
directly to the Judicial Magistrate of the first class or a police officer not below 
the rank of Inspector may initiate suo-moto action upon receipt of information 
regarding the offence under this Act in the manner as may be prescribed. 
(2) The Magistrate before whom the complaint is filed under sub-section 
(1) may direct the police to conduct the investigation. 
(3) The Magistrate may also direct the police and other concerned 
authorities to provide the victim and his family, any kind of assistance or help 
that he thinks necessary till the conclusion of trial. 
13. Police officer to take action. - Upon receiving the information of 
the offence of social boycott under this Act a police officer may,- 
(a) remove or cause to be removed, any barricade or 
obstruction erected or placed in any place if such police 
officer has reasonable ground to believe that the barricade 
or obstruction was so erected or placed in order to be used 
for the purpose of committing an off ence under  this  Act 
;or 
(b) open or cause to be opened any gate or door, if such police 
officer has reasonable ground to believe that such gate or 
door has been closed for the purpose of committing an 
offence under this Act. 
14. Power to prevent certain acts .- (1) Where the Deputy 
Commissioner receives information that there is likelihood of convening of 
unlawful assembly for imposition of social boycott, he shall, by order, prohibit 
the convening of any such unlawful assembly and doing of any such act 
towards the commission of any offence under this Act by any person in any 
areas as may be specified in the order. 
(2) The Deputy Commissioner may take such steps as he thinks 
necessary to give effect to such order, including giving of appropriate 
directions to the police authorities. 
15. Social boycott prohibition officer.- The State Government may, 
by notification in the Official Gazette, designate any officer not below the rank 
of Group ‘A’ Officer of the Government, as the social boycott prohibition Officer 
as it may consider necessary and may also notify the area or areas within 
which he shall exercise the powers and perform the duties as may be 
prescribed. 
16. Functions of social boycott prohibition officer.- A social boycott 
Prohibition Officer shall perform the following functions, namely:- 
(a) to detect the commission of offence under the provisions 
of this Act by any person in the area of his jurisdiction, by 
taking such action as he deems fit and to report such 
cases to the Magistrate and Deputy Commissioner; 
(b) to assist the Magistrate while he is trying the offences and 
its proceedings under this Act. 
17. Compensation to Victim.- When a sentence of fine is imposed, the 
a Court may, when passing judgment, order the whole or any part of the fine 
recovered to be given to the victim and his family, as the compensation. 
18. Act not in derogation of any other law.- The provisions of this Act 
shall be in addition to and not in derogation of the provisions of any other law for the 
time being in force. 
19. Framing charges under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 .- While 
framing charges for the offences under  this Act, the Magistrate may also frame 
charges under sections  3(5), 61 (1), 61(2), 190,196,308(1) to (6) and 62 of the 
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Central Act 45 of 2023), or any other provision 
of that Sanhita, if the fact discloses the commission of an offence under those 
provisions. 
20. Power to make rules. - (1) The State Government may, after 
previous publication make rules to carry out the purposes of this Act.  
(2) Every rule or notification made under this Act shall be laid as soon 
as may be after it is made, before each House of the State Legislature while it 
is in session, for a total period of thirty days wh ich may be comprised in one 
session or in two or more successive sessions and if before the expiry of the 
session immediately following the session or the successive sessions 
aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or 
notification or both Houses agree that the rule or notification should not be 
made, the rule or notification shall thereafter have effect only in such modified 
form or be of no effect as the case may be; so, however, that any such 
modification or annulment  shall be without, prejudice to the validity of 
anything previously done under that rule or notification. 
21. Power to remove difficulties.- (1) If any difficulty arises in giving 
effect to the provisions of this Act, the State Government may, by order 
published in the Official Gazette, make such provisions, not inconsistent with 
the provisions of this Act, which appears to it to be necessary or expedient for 
the purpose of removing the difficulty: 
Provided that, no such order shall be made under this section after the 
expiry of a period of two years from the commencement of this Act. 
(2) Every  order  made  under  sub-section  (1)  shall  be  laid,  as  soon  
as may be, after it is made, before each House of the State Legislature. 
  
 
 
The above translation of ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಬಹಿಷ್ಕ ಾ ರ (ಪ್ ರ ತಿಬಂಧ, ನಿಷೇಧ 
ಮತ್ತ ು ಪ್ರಿಹಾರ) ಅಧಿನಿಯಮ, 202 5 (2026 ರ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಅಧಿನಿಯಮ ಸಂಖ್ಯೆ : 18) be 
published in the official Gazette under clause (3) of Article 348 of the 
Constitution of India. 
   
  
THAAWARCHAND GEHLOT 
GOVERNOR OF KARANATAKA 
 
By Order and in the name of 
the Governor of Karnataka, 
 
 
G. SRIDHAR 
Secretary to Government 
Department of Parliamentary 
Affairs and Legislation 
 

‹ Prev All Karnataka acts Next ›