Karnataka govt ups quota for SCs and STs in jobs, education; crosses cap set by SC

The Karnataka government through an executive order has increased quota in jobs and education for Scheduled Castes and Tribes.

Calling it a “historic decision”, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai tweeted: “Today my cabinet has taken an historic decision of approving the ordinance on hiking the reservation for my brothers and sisters from SC/ST community, from 15% to 17% and 3% to 7%.”

The decision, however, will push reservation in the state beyond the 50 per cent cap imposed by the Supreme Court. The total percentage of reservation in the state will now be 56 per cent.

Also read: Karnataka BJP eyes TN model to hike quotas, with eye on 2023 polls

Why executive order?

It was for this reason that the state government did not go for a legislation and instead opted for an executive order. The law and parliamentary affairs minister had told the local media that there could have been “issues” if the bill came up in the assembly.

The state’s scheduled tribes welfare minister B Sriramulu said that to ensure legal protection for the quota hike, the state government will “recommend bringing it under the 9th Schedule of the Constitution”.

The quota hike, which was approved by the state cabinet on October 8, is a key move for the Bommai government, which has been facing wide-ranging corruption allegations from the opposition. With assembly elections due next year, the BJP would be hoping that the quota move would come to their aid to win a second term.

Bommai targets Congress

Bommai said the decision to hike SC/ST quota is being interpreted in many ways but “it is important that SC/ST communities have welcomed this decision”.

“The Congress ruled the country for seven decades by talking of social justice in speeches. The demand to hike reservation is 50 years old and the Congress leaders were not having time to see the condition of SC/STs. The previous coalition government constituted the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission, but our government showed the commitment to implement this historic decision,” he added.

Also read: Kharge’s win makes 3 Karnataka Congressmen happy, leaves BJP worried

Meanwhile, following the quota hike decision, the dominant Vokkaliga community in the state has scaled up its demand for an increase in reservation for them from 4 per cent to 12 per cent.