Article 371J

Special Development Board and Quotas for the Kalyana-Karnataka Region

Official heading: “Special provisions with respect to State of Karnataka”

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Source edition: The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
Source locator: Part XXI, Article 371J, printed pages 244–245
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Last human legal review: Not yet reviewed

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1. In One Sentence

Empowers the Governor of Karnataka to establish a separate development board and educational and employment quotas for the backward Hyderabad-Karnataka region.

2. What It Means in Everyday Language

Inserted by the Constitution (Ninety-eighth Amendment) Act, 2012, Article 371J addresses persistent developmental imbalances in the six backward northeastern districts of Karnataka (the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, now officially known as Kalyana-Karnataka).

Clause (1) authorizes the President to empower the Governor of Karnataka to establish a separate development board, mandate annual reporting to the State Assembly, and ensure equitable budgetary allocations.

Clause (2) authorizes affirmative action: reservation of seats in educational and vocational training institutions for students belonging to the region by birth or domicile, and reservation of state government posts and local cadres for persons belonging to the region.

This historic amendment brought constitutional economic parity to Hyderabad-Karnataka, replicating the successful model of Article 371D.

3. Practical Illustrative Example

Everyday Scenario:

A student born in Kalaburagi applies for admission to an engineering college in Bengaluru under the 8% Kalyana-Karnataka regional quota.

Core takeaway: Under Article 371J(2)(a), reservations in higher education and state civil services for youths from this historically underdeveloped region are constitutionally protected.

Illustrative Notice: The quotas apply to persons who belong to the specified six districts by birth or domicile as certified under state rules.

4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions

Article 371J provides targeted constitutional affirmative action for Karnataka’s most backward region.

Ninety-eighth Amendment reform: Enacted in 2012 for the six Hyderabad-Karnataka districts (Kalaburagi, Bidar, Raichur, Koppal, Yadgir, Ballari/Vijayanagara).
Development board: Dedicated regional board with mandatory annual reporting to the State Legislature.
Education and job reservations: Authorizes regional quotas in state universities, medical/engineering colleges, and state civil posts.

5. Operative Constitutional Text

(1) The President may, by order made with respect to the State of Karnataka, provide for any special responsibility of the Governor for— (a) establishment of a separate development board for Hyderabad-Karnataka region with the provision that a report on the working of the board will be placed each year before the State Legislative Assembly; (b) equitable allocation of funds for developmental expenditure over the said region, subject to the requirements of the State as a whole; and (c) equitable opportunities and facilities for the people belonging to the said region, in matters of public employment, education and vocational training, subject to the requirements of the State as a whole. (2) An order made under clause (1) may provide for— (a) reservation of a proportion of seats in educational and vocational training institutions in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region for students who belong to that region by birth or by domicile; (b) identification of posts or classes of posts under the State Government and in any body or organisation under the control of the State Government in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region and reservation of a proportion of such posts for persons who belong to that region by birth or by domicile and for appointment thereto by direct recruitment or by promotion or in any other manner as may be specified in the order.

Transcription for reference; compare with the linked official editionNot yet verified by a human legal reviewer

6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations

Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.

Sources & Citation Metadata

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Constitutional TextThe Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)Cited PDF page
Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part XXI, Article 371J, printed pages 244–245 • Human source-link check pending
Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.

Human legal review is pending; compare the text with the cited editionNon-partisan educational resource