K’taka approves revised internal reservation for SCs

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like BENGALURU: Karnataka on Friday approved a revised system of sub-quotas for Scheduled Castes (SC) within the state’s overall 15% reservation limit for Dalits, responding to a long-pending demand. K’taka approves revised internal reservation for SCsThe decision was made at a special cabinet meeting at Vidhana Soudha. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the Cabinet decided to implement a quota of 5.25% each for the so-called right-hand Dalits and so-called left-hand Dalits and 4.5% for other SC groups. Dalit communities are internally divided into Right-hand (Balagai) and Left-hand (Edagai) factions for internal reservation purposes, primarily consisting of Adi Karnataka (Right) and Adi Jambava/Madiga (Left) sub-groups. These groups are distinguished by historical, social, and regional differences, often impacting political alliances. Right-hand groups were often linked to landholding and skilled occupations, while left-hand groups were associated with more marginalised work and faced greater social disadvantages. “From tomorrow onwards, the recruitment process will begin with the issuance of notifications,” the CM said. Karnataka becomes the third state after Haryana and Telangana to implement sub-quotas for SCs, roughly two years after the Supreme Court allowed such sub-classification. Siddaramaiah said the final decision was based on the recommendations of a technical committee, with some changes made by the cabinet. “It was decided in the last cabinet meeting to form a technical committee regarding internal reservation. That committee submitted its report on Friday. The report had recommended allocating 5.3% to the left-handed community, 5.3% and 4.4% to the left-handed community. However, after discussion in the cabinet meeting, the reservation quota has been allocated as 5.25%, 5.25% and 4.5%,” he added. The revised structure keeps the total SC reservation at 15%. The government had earlier considered increasing it to 17% and dividing it into 6%, 6% and 5%. However, that would have pushed the overall reservation in the state to 56%, crossing the 50% ceiling. “The court had directed that the reservation rate should not exceed 50%,” Siddaramaiah said. The issue of internal reservation has been debated for years, particularly between groups historically classified as so-called ‘left-hand’ and so-called ‘right-hand’. These categories have roots in older social structures in South India. The latest decision follows consultations with community leaders. Siddaramaiah said support for internal reservation was reinforced at a conference in Chitradurga led by minister G Parameshwara, where representatives of 101 SC communities backed the proposal. Earlier, the government had relied on the findings of the A.J. Sadashiva Commission and the Nagamohan Das Commission. While the Nagamohan Das panel’s recommendations were accepted and turned into law, they faced problems during implementation, especially related to the roster system used in recruitment. Legal challenges followed, including petitions from nomadic communities. Courts raised concerns about both the structure and whether it would breach the 50% ceiling, forcing the government to reconsider its plan. To address this, a technical committee led by the chief secretary was formed on April 16. It analysed the data and suggested a revised distribution of 5.3%, 5.3% and 4.4%. The cabinet slightly modified these figures before approving the final structure. Siddaramaiah said the new formula will be followed while filling 56,432 posts announced in the state budget. “We are a party that upholds social justice. Therefore, there was some delay in the decision regarding internal reservation. All the ministers agreed unanimously, so he expressed confidence that Dalit organisations will also agree,” he said. Law and parliamentary affairs minister H K Patil said the decision came after extensive discussions. “There was a discussion on the issue of internal reservation in the SCs. But a decision has been taken that should be a model for the country. This issue was the subject of a lot of discussion. The law had to be made by convincing all the communities. The law had to be made by taking the House into confidence. CM Siddaramaiah has been successful in taking a decision on the roster issue as well,” he said. Social Welfare Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa said, “This is a historic decision. Today it was discussed for 5 to 10 minutes and unanimously decided. This reflects the party’s stand and the government’s commitment. It got delayed due to roster points… Some people instigated and created confusion. Roster points will be fixed for 15 %. If the SC reserved posts (vacancies) are below 15, there will be no internal quota but open to all SC.” Meanwhile, Home Minister and senior Dalit leader Dr. G. Parameshwara said, “Haryana, Punjab, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have similar models. Karnataka’s case is unique as it has 101 SC communities, with many small communities who feel deprived. Today we have ensured justice for all. Every fifth post in Group C will be reserved for Alemaris. The Karnataka model may be emulated as we have shown how to implement it legally, politically and administratively.” Arun Dev is an Assistant Editor with the Karnataka bureau of Hindustan Times. A journalist for over 10 years, he has written extensively on crime and politics.