Wary of backlash from Dalit communities, Karnataka to announce ‘proportionate internal reservation’ during fresh recruitments

In 2022, Karnataka hiked the quotas for SC communities from 15 to 17 per cent and for ST communities from 3 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 being challenged in court, the government announced an internal reservation within the 17 per cent quota for SCs. This reservation is divided as follows: 6 per cent for SC Left, 6 per cent for SC Right, and 5 per cent for SC Touchable.

Recruitments have been on hold since November 2024. To avoid further legal delays in hiring, the government has decided to stick to the 50 per cent ceiling for this recruitment cycle. As a result, SCs will have a 15 per cent reservation.

“The topic of providing internal reservations will be discussed in the next Cabinet meeting, and proportionate internal reservations will be implemented,” said Thimmapur.

This indicates that the SC Left and SC Right communities will each receive approximately 5.29 per cent reservation, while the remaining 4.42 per cent share will go to SC Touchable groups.

The recruitment announcement, which lacked details on internal reservations, faced opposition from the SC Left groups. They have also called for the resignation of Thimmapur and Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa, who also belongs to the SC Left community.