Karnataka Scheduled Caste Sub-Classification Bill: Under pressure, Karnataka to revise internal quota of SC communities | India News
BENGALURU: Under pressure from the Left Scheduled Caste (SC) community and two of its own ministers, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka has decided to reconsider its earlier decision to fill 56,432 government posts without internal reservation. The Cabinet is expected to discuss the introduction of pro-rata internal reservation within the existing 15% SC quota in a meeting on Thursday.The move comes days after Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot gave his assent to the Karnataka Scheduled Castes Sub-Categorization Bill 2025, which provides for internal quotas among the SC community. The bill passed in December last year proposed to increase the overall reservation for SCs from 15% to 17% and share it among 101 SC communities. Gehlot’s nod came after protests by job seekers in Dharwad who demanded the government fill nearly 2.5 lakh vacancies across the department. Recruitment has been largely suspended from October 2024 to facilitate the implementation of the internal quota system. Under the 17% structure in the bill signed by Gehlot, left communities (16 communities) will get 6% under category A, right communities (19 communities) 6% under category B and 63 communities will get 5% under category C. Those under Adi Andhra, Adi Dravida and Karnataka groups can re-elect under Category-A.But this matrix violates the overall 50% limit of total reservation decreed by the Supreme Court and a case challenging it is pending in court. The government, therefore, issued a notification to fill up 56,432 posts under the existing 15% SC quota, clarifying that the enhanced 17% quota would be applied to recruitment only after a court decision. This has created a strong reaction among the stakeholders.
