Karnataka govt jobs: Nod to fill 56,432 posts but confusion persists

The Karnataka government has finally yielded to the long-pending demand of lakhs of young job aspirants awaiting employment across various government departments.

At a Cabinet meeting held on Thursday (February 26), the Congress government gave its nod to immediately fill as many as 56,432 vacant posts in different departments. However, this does not mean that all issues have been resolved. On the contrary, fresh complications may arise, and confusion surrounding the recruitment process is likely to continue.

Also read: What Dharwad protests tell us about Karnataka’s huge hiring crisis

Just two days ago in Hubballi, job aspirants had taken to the streets in large numbers to express their anger against the government. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who had personally assured them then, has now initiated the recruitment process. Though this may appear to be a bumper opportunity at first glance, the path ahead for these appointments may not be as smooth as it seems. Questions have already surfaced over whether legal complexities relating to reservation and roster systems could pose fresh hurdles to this massive recruitment drive.

Government returns to 50 per cent

The issue of enhancing reservation in the state has witnessed several twists and turns. In 2022, the then BJP government increased reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC) from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and for Scheduled Tribes (ST) from 3 per cent to 7 per cent, terming it a historic decision. To provide legal backing to this hike, the ‘Karnataka State Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (Reservation) Act, 2022’ was enacted. As a result, the overall reservation in the state rose to 56 per cent.

Several organisations and individuals challenged this increase in the Karnataka High Court. While hearing the petitions, the High Court granted an interim stay on the implementation of the 56 per cent reservation. Referring to an earlier Supreme Court judgment, it directed the state government to conduct recruitments within the 50 per cent cap (SC – 15 per cent, ST – 3 per cent). Now, citing further delays if it waits for the final court verdict, the government has decided to go ahead and fill the 56,432 posts under the earlier 50 per cent reservation limit.

Speaking to The Federal Karnataka, Keshav Murthy, convenor of the Swabhimani Madiga Organisations Federation, said the government’s decision effectively pushes Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes back to their earlier position. “This amounts to incomplete reservation and will impact education, employment, promotions and direct recruitment. Though it appears to reflect the Sadashiva Commission report in terms of internal classification, the reshuffling of castes has created confusion. This is an injustice to Scheduled communities,” he said.

New roster; more delay?

Though the government has given in-principle approval to begin the recruitment process, the biggest and most complex challenge before departments is finalising the roster. Months ago, based on the proposed 56 per cent reservation and in anticipation of internal reservation, most departments had prepared new rosters for their posts.

Given the scale of this exercise involving over 56,000 posts, departments may require considerable time to redraw error-free rosters, secure fresh approval from the Finance Department and issue final notifications. This could further prolong the wait for aspirants.

Fresh legal battle likely

After the Cabinet meeting, the government clarified that there would be no implementation of internal reservation in the current recruitment of 56,432 posts. As internal reservation requires more time and legal procedures, the government has decided to proceed under the earlier system.

This decision itself could trigger a fresh legal battle. Dalit communities that have been protesting on the streets for decades for internal reservation are unlikely to accept the move quietly. Moreover, if notifications are issued for lakhs of posts under the old 15 per cent quota instead of the 17 per cent announced in 2022, Dalit organisations are expected to strongly oppose it.

There is a strong possibility that, immediately after the notification is issued, these organisations may once again approach the courts, raising objections over the reduction in reservation and the non-implementation of internal reservation. If anyone secures a stay order against the recruitment process, the appointments to these 56,432 posts could once again be left in limbo, potentially stalling for years.

Conditional recruitment?

At present, both the enhancement of the reservation cap and the issue of internal reservation are under consideration before the High Court. During the recent winter session of the Legislative Assembly held in Belagavi, both Houses unanimously passed a resolution recommending to the Central government that the reservation enhancement law be included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. However, there has been no positive response from the Centre so far.

For now, with the Finance Department’s approval, the government has decided to initiate recruitment in accordance with the existing legal framework, on a conditional basis. It has imposed a clause that any necessary changes will be made in line with the final court verdict in the future. Overall, while the doors to government employment have opened for thousands of young aspirants, the lingering legal tangles over reservation raise concerns over whether their path ahead will remain uncertain.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka)