Karnataka govt orders implementation of internal reservation among SCs; clears 56,432 posts

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has issued an order on implementing internal reservation with a revised formula of 5.25, 5.25, and 4.50% out of the 15% reservation available for Scheduled Castes in the state. With this, the government has also instructed all appointing authorities to take urgent steps for the direct recruitment of 56,432 posts already approved by the Finance Department, which have been stalled for some time now.

On Friday, the state cabinet decided to provide internal reservation among the 101 Scheduled Castes in Karnataka, using a matrix of 5.25 per cent each for Category A (Madigas and allied castes/Dalit left) and Category B (Holeyas and allied castes/Dalit right), and 4.5 per cent for Category C (Bhovi, Lambani, Korama, Koracha and 59 nomadic communities) within the 15 per cent reservation for SCs. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that, in accordance with the decision on internal reservation for Scheduled Castes, the government ordered on April 27 to continue recruitment to government posts subject to the High Court's order.

"As per the order given by the High Court, the 50 per cent reservation rate has been temporarily adopted, and internal reservation for Category - A, Category - B, and Category - C has been ordered to be implemented at 5.25, 5.25, and 4.5 per cent respectively out of the 15 per cent reservation allocated to Scheduled Castes. Of the posts or entry seats available for Category - C, 20 per cent of the posts have been reserved for the 59 most backward castes in the Scheduled Castes," he said in a post on 'X'.

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The CM further said that all appointing authorities have been instructed to take urgent steps for the direct recruitment of 56,432 posts already approved by the Finance Department. "I am very happy to share a copy of the order in this regard with all the job seekers of the state. Our government has acted as promised on the issue of internal reservation and has not betrayed the trust of the people of the state by upholding its commitment to the principle of equality and fairness for all," he added, sharing the copy of the government order with his post.

The previous BJP government had increased the reservation quota for SCs from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and for Scheduled Tribes from 3 per cent to 7 per cent, raising the state's total reservation to 56 per cent, exceeding the Supreme Court-mandated 50 per cent ceiling. While this was still in court, the Congress government subsequently decided to provide internal reservation within the 17 per cent quota for SCs based on the 6:6:5 formula.

However, since the High Court directed the government not to breach the 50 per cent reservation ceiling set by the Supreme Court in the Indra Sawhney Case in 1992, the government has now recalibrated its internal reservation formula under the 15 per cent reservation quota for SCs.