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Supreme Court strikes down Karnataka’s 2022 validation law

By Drooid · Oct 30, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Supreme Court struck down Karnataka’s 2022 validation law as unconstitutional.
Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran authored the judgment.
Court said the law tried to overturn 2011 cancellation of 362 Group A and B posts.
CID inquiry found manipulation, corruption and nepotism in 2011 selection of 1,38,307 applicants.
Supreme Court ordered fresh recruitment for vacant Group A and B posts under existing rules.

Summary

Senior advocate Shyam Divan argued the validation law lets the state overturn a court-invalidated recruitment.
Supreme Court ruling revived constitutional debate on whether legislation can nullify judicial decisions.
CID identified 46 tainted candidates among 362 selected for the 2011 batch.
Petitioners said 566 candidates received identical marks and the examination records were later destroyed.

History

India’s Supreme Court has repeatedly barred state legislatures from overturning judicially-ordered public-service selections, a stance rooted in landmark rulings such as the 1973 Kesavananda Bharati decision that limited constitutional amendments and the 1975 Indira Gandhi case affirming judicial supremacy. The recent judgment follows this tradition, reinforcing the Court as the final arbiter of merit-based appointments.

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India’s Supreme Court has repeatedly barred state legislatures from overturning judicially-ordered public-service selections, a stance rooted in landmark rulings such as the 1973 Kesavananda Bharati decision that limited constitutional amendments and the 1975 Indira Gandhi case affirming judicial supremacy. The recent judgment follows this tradition, reinforcing the Court as the final arbiter of merit-based appointments.

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