The KARNATAKA STATE COMMISSION FOR THE SCHEDULED CASTES AND THE SCHEDULED TRIBES ACT, 2002

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THE KARNATAKA STATE COMMISSION FOR THE SCHEDULED CASTES AND
THE SCHEDULED TRIBES ACT, 2002
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Statement of Objects and Reasons
Sections:

CHAPTER-I
PRELIMINARY
1. Short title and commencement
2. Definitions
CHAPTER-II
STATE COMMISSION FOR THE SCHEDULED CASTES AND THE SCHEDULED
TRIBES
3. Constitution of the Commission for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes
4. Term of Office and Conditions of service of the Chairperson and Members
5. Staff of the Commission
6. Vacancies etc., not to invalidate proceedings of the Commission
7. Procedure to be regulated by the Commission

CHAPTER-III
FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF THE COMMISSION
8. Functions of the Commission
9. Laying of Report
10. Powers of Commission

CHAPTER-IV
FINANCE, ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT
11. Grants by the State Government
12. Accounts and Audit

CHAPTER-V
MISCELLANEOUS
13. Chairperson, Members and Employees of the Commission to be public servent

14. Power to make rules
15. Power to remove difficulties
16. Repeal and savings

STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS
I

To give effect to announcement made in the Budget Speech of the year 2001 - 2002, it is
considered necessary to enact a legislation to provide for Constitution of a permanent
Commission for the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, which
shall,-
(i) investigate and examine the working of various safeguards provided for the welfare
and protection of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
(ii) inquire into specific complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and
safeguards of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes of Karnataka.
(iii) to participate and advice on the planning process of socio -economic development of
the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and evaluate the progress of their development in
the state.
(iv) make recommendations as to the measures that should b e taken by the State
Government for the effective implementation of safeguards and other measures for the protection,
welfare and socio-economic development of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes and make
report to the State Government annually.
(v) discharge such other functions as may be enstructed by rules.
The Karnataka State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Bill,
2002, provides for,
(i) The constitution of State Commission, and the terms of office and conditions of
service of the chair person and other members.
(ii) the powers and functions of the commission.
(iii) Manner of maintaining account of the commission and the audit of such
accounts.
The Bill also provides for certain other incidental and consequential provisions. Hence the
Bill.
(L.A. Bill No. 2 of 2002)

II
Amendment Act 12 of 2026:- It is considered necessary to amend the
Karnataka State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled
Tribes Act, 2002 (Karnataka Act 20 of 2002) to,-
(i) nominate a person belonging to the Scheduled Tribes and one
woman to be the members of the Karnataka State Commission for
the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes; and
(ii) empower the Karnataka State Commission for the Scheduled
Castes and the Scheduled Tribes to make necessary modi fication
in the reservation percentage of sub -classification to the members
of the Scheduled Castes on receipt of new data or information from
the Government.
Hence, the Bill.

[L.A. Bill No. 88 of 2025, File No. SAMVYASHAE 101 SHASANA 2025]
[Entry 41 of List II and entry 23 of List III of the Seventh Schedule to the
Constitution of India]
[Published in Karnataka Gazette Extra -ordinary No.29 in part -IVA
dated:08.01.2026]

KARNATAKA ACT No. 20 OF 2002
(First published in the Karnataka Gazette Extraordinary on the Eleventh day of
September, 2002)
THE KARNATAKA STATE COMMISSION FOR THE SCHEDULED CASTES AND
THE SCHEDULED TRIBES ACT, 2002.
(Received the assent of the Governor on the sixth day of September, 2002)
(As amended by Act 12 of 2026)
An Act to provide for constitution of a Karnataka State Commission for the Scheduled
Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental
thereto;
Wheres it is expedient to constitute a Commission for the Scheduled Cast es and the
Scheduled Tribes and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto;
Be it enacted by the Karnatka State Legislature in the fifty third year of the Republic of
India as follows:
CHAPTER-1
PRELIMINARY
1. Short title and commencement.- (1) This Act may be called the Karnataka State
Commission for the Scheduled castes and the Scheduled Tribes Act, 2002.
(2) It shall be deemed to have come into force with effect from the Fifth day of January,
2002.
2. Definitions.- In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) "Commission" means the Karnataka State Commission for the Scheduled Castes
and the Scheduled Tribes constituted under section 3;
(b) "Member" means a member of the Commission;
(c) "Scheduled Castes" shall have the meaning assigned in clause(24) of Article 366 of
the Constitution of India;
(d) "Scheduled Tribes" shall have the meaning assigned in clause (25) of Article 366 of
the Constitution of India.
CHAPTER-II
State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes
3. Constitution of the Commission for the Scheduled Castes and the
Scheduled Tribes. - (1) The State Government shall, as soon as may be after the
commencement of the Act constitute a body to be called as the Karnataka State
3

Commission for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes to exercise the powers and
perform the functions assigned to it by or under this Act with its head quarters at Bangalore.
(2) The Commission shall consist of the following members, namely:-
(a) the Chairperson, who has special knowledge in matter relating to the Scheduled
Castes and the Scheduled Tribes nominated by the State Government;
(b) two persons, who have special knowledge in matters relating to the Scheduled
Castes and the Scheduled Tribes nominated by the State Government;
1[(b-1) In addition to the above, one person who shall belong to the Scheduled Tribes to be
nominated by the State Government;
(b-2) In addition to the above, one person who shall be a woman to be nominated by the State
Government.]1
(c) The Director, Social Welfare or Director Tribal Welfare shall be the Member
Secretary of the Commission respectively in matters pertaining to the Scheduled Castes and the
Scheduled Tribes.
1. Inserted by Act 12 of 2026 w.e.f. ………….
4. Term of Office and Conditions of service of the Chairperson and
Members.- (1) Subject to the pleasure of the State Government, the Chairperson and every
member shall hold office for a term not exceeding three years as may be specified by the State
Government.
(2) The Chairperson or a member of the Commission may, at any time by writing under
his hand addressed, to the State Government, resign his office.
(3) The State Government shall remove a person from the office of the Chairperson or
of a member if that person,-
(a) becomes an undischarged insolvent; or
(b) has been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for an offence which, in the
opinion of the State Government, involves moral turpitude; or
(c) becomes of unsound mind and stands so declared by a competent court; or
(d) refuses to act or becomes incapable of acting; or
(e) without obtaining leave of absence from the commission, absents from three
consecutive meetings of the Commission; or
(f) has in the opinion of the State Government so abused the position of Chairperson or
Member as to render that person's continuance in office detrimental to the interest of the
Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribes:
Provided that no person shall be removed under this clause unless that person has been
given an opportunity of being heard in the matter.

(4) A vacancy caused under sub -section (2) or otherwise shall be filled by fresh
nomination.

(5) The salaries and allowances payable to and the other terms and conditions of service
of the Chairperson and allowance payable to the Members shall be such, as may be prescribed.
5. Staff of the Commission. - (1) The State Government shall provide the
Commission with such officers and employees as may be required for the proper functioning of
the Commission.
(2) The Administrative expenses of the commiss ion including the salary and allowances
payable to the Chairperson, allowance payable to members and salary and allowance payable to
the Officers and employees of the Commission shall be paid out of the grants referred to in
Section 11.
6. Vacancies etc., not to invalidate proceedings of the Commission. - No act
or proceedings of the Commission shall be invalid merely on the ground of the existence of any
vacancy in the office of membership of the commission or defect in the Constitution of t he
Commission.
7. Procedure to be regulated by the Commission. - (1) The Commission shall
meet as and when necessary, ordinarily at Bangalore and at such places as the Chairperson may
think fit.
(2) The Commission shall have power to regulate its own procedure.
(3) All orders and decisions of the Commission shall be authenticated by the Member
Secretary or any other officer of the Commission duly authorised by the Member Secretary in
this behalf.
CHAPTER-III
FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF THE COMMISSION
8. Functions of the Commission. - The functions of the commission shall be as
follows,-
(a) to investigate and examine the working of various safeguards provided in the
constitution of India or under any other law for the time being in force or under any order of the
Government for the welfare and protection of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes of
Karnataka and;
(b) to inquire into specific complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and
safeguard of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes of Karnataka and to take up such
matter with the appropriate authorities;
5

(c) to participate and advise on the planning process of socio economic development of
the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and to evaluate the progress of their
development in the State.
(d) to make recommendations as to the measures that should be taken by the State for the
effective implementation of safeguards and other measures for the protection, welfare and socio
economic development of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and to make report to
the State Government annually and at such other time as the Commission may deems fit.
(e) to discharge such other functions in relation to the protection, welfare, development
and advancement of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes as may be prescribed:
Provided that if any matter specified in this section is dealt with by the National
commission for Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes established under Article 338 of the
Constitution of India the State Commission for Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes shall
cease to have jurisdiction on such matter.
1[(f) to recommend to the Government, the necessary modification in the reservation percentage
of sub-classification to the members of the Scheduled Castes on receipt of new data or information from
the Government.]1
1. Inserted by Act 12 of 2026 w.e.f. ………….
9. Laying of Report.- The State Government shall cause such reports referred to in
clause (d) of Section 8 to be laid before each House of the State Legislature explaining action
taken or proposed to be taken and the reasons, if any, for non - acceptance of the
recommendations.
10. Powers of Commission.- The Commission shall, while investigating any matter
under section 8, have all the powers of a civ il court in trying a suit and in particular, in respect of
the following maters, namely:-
(a) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person from any part of the State and
examining him on oath;
(b) requiring the discovery and production of any document;
(c) receiving evidence on affidavits;
(d) requisitioning any public record or copy there of from any court or office;
(e) issuing Commissions for the examination of witnesses and documents; and
(f) any other matter which may be prescribed.

6
CHAPTER - IV
FINANCE, ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT
11. Grants by the State Government. - (1) The State Government shall, after due
appropriation made by the State Legislature by law in this behalf, pay to the Commission by way
of grants such sums of money as the State Government may think fit , for being utilised for the
purposes of this Act.
(2) The Commission may spend such sums out of the grants as it thinks fit
forperforming the functions under this Act, and such sums shall be treated as expenditure payable
out of the grants referred to in sub-section (1).
12. Accounts and Audit. - (1) Accounts of income and expenditure of the
Commission shall be kept in accordance with such rules, as may be prescribed.
(2) The Commission shall prepare an annual statement of accounts in such form as may
be prescribed.
(3) The accounts of the Commission shall be audited annually by such auditor as the
State Government may appoint.
(4) The auditor shall, for the purpose of the audit, have access to all the accounts and
other records of the Commission.
(5) The Commission shall pay from its grant such charges for the audit, as may be
prescribed.
(6) As soon as may be after the receipt of the report of the auditor, the Commission shall
send a copy of the annual statement of accounts together with a copy of the report of the auditor
to the State Government and shall cause to be published the annual statement of accounts in such
manner, as may be prescribed.
(7) The State Government shall cause the audit report to be laid as soon as may be after it
is received before each House of the State Legislature.
(8) The State Government may, after perusal of the report of the auditor give such
directions, as it thinks fit to the Commission and the Commission shall comply with such
directions.
CHAPTER - V
MISCELLANEOUS
13. Chairperson, Members and employees of the Commission to be public
servants.- The Chairperson, Members and employees of the Commission shall be deemed to be
public servants with in the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (Central Act 45 of
1860)

14. Power to make rules.- (1) The State Government may after previous publication
by notification in the official Gazette make rules for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of
this Act.
(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions such
rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:-
(a) salary and allowance payable to, and other terms and conditions of service o f the
Chairperson and allowances payable to Members under sub-section(5) of section 4;

(b) the form in which the annual statement of accounts shall be prepared under sub -
section(2) of section 12;
(c) any other matter which is required to be, or may be prescribed.
(3) Every rule 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,
which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sess ions and if before the
expiry of the session in which it is so laid or the session immediately following session aforesaid
both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule
should not be made, the rule shall therea fter 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.
15. 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 as appear to it to be
necessary or expedient, for removing the difficulty:
Provided that no such order shall be made after the expiry of a period of two years from
the date of commencement of this Act.
(2) Every order made under this section shall as soon as may be after it is made be laid
before each House of the State Legislature.
16. Repeal and savings. - (1) The Karnataka State Commission for the Scheduled
Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Ordinance, 2001 (Karnataka Ordinance 8 of 2001) is hereby
repealed.
(2) Notwithstanding such repeal anything done or any action taken under the said
Ordinance shall be deemed to have been done or taken under this Act.

The above translation of the ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ರಾಜ್ಯ ಅನುಸೂಚಿತ ಜಾತಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತ ು ಅನುಸೂಚಿತ
ಬುಡಕಟ್ಟ ು ಗಳ ಆಯೋಗ ಅಧಿನಿಯಮ, 2002 (2002 ರ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ :20) be published in th e official
Gazette under clause (3) of Article 348 of the constitution of India.

KARNATAKA ACT NO. 12 OF 2026

(First Published in the Karnataka Gazette Extra-ordinary on the 08th Day of January 2026)

THE KARNATAKA STATE COMMISSION FOR THE SCHEDULED CASTES
AND THE SCHEDULED TRIBES (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2025
(Received the assent of the Governor on the 07th day of January, 2026)

An Act to amend the Karnataka State Commission for the Scheduled
Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Act, 2002.

Whereas it is expedient to amend the Karnataka State Commission for
the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Act, 2002 (Karnataka Act 20 of
2002) for the purposes hereinafter appearing;

Be it enacted by Karnataka State Legislature in the seventy sixt h year of
the Republic of India as follows:-

1. Short title and Commencement. - (1) This Act may be called the
Karnataka State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled
Tribes (Amendment) Act, 2025.

(2) It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by
notification in the Official Gazette appoint.

2. Amendment of section 3. - In the Karnataka State Commission for
the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Act, 2002 (Karnataka Act 20 of
2002) (hereinafter referred to as the Principal Act), in section 3, in sub -section
(2), after clause (b), the following shall be inserted, namely:-
“(b-1) In addition to the above, one person who shall belong to the
Scheduled Tribes to be nominated by the State Government;
(b-2) In addition to the above, one person who shall be a woman to be
nominated by the State Government.”

3. Amendment of section 8. - In the principal Act, in section 8, after
clause (e), the following shall be inserted, namely:-
"(f) to recommend to the Government, the necessary modification in the

reservation percentage of sub -classification to the members of the Scheduled
Castes on receipt of new data or information from the Government".

The above translation of ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ರಾಜ್ಯ ಅನುಸೂಚಿತ ಜಾತಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತ ು
ಅನುಸೂಚಿತ ಬುಡಕಟ್ಟು ಗಳ ಆಯೋಗ (ತಿದ್ದು ಪಡಿ) ಅಧಿನಿಯಮ, 2025 (2026 ರ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ
ಅಧಿನಿಯಮ ಸಂಖ್ಯಯ : 12) 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

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