Bill to provide internal reservation to Scheduled Castes tabled in Karnataka Assembly

Belagavi, Karnataka: Karnataka government on Wednesday tabled a bill in the Legislative Assembly to provide internal reservation to the Scheduled Castes (SC).

State Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa presented the Karnataka Scheduled Castes (Sub- Categorisation) Bill, 2025.

The bill aims to legally formalise the state's internal quota system for SCs, dividing the 17 per cent SC reservation into six per cent for Left communities (erstwhile untouchables), six per cent for right communities, and five per cent for others.

This sub-categorisation is based on the Justice Nagmohan Das Commission report, providing a legal shield to prevent court challenges that have stalled government posts and ensure fair distribution among the 101 SC sub-castes.

The bill is considered contentious as the nomadic tribes have approached the courts, as they are unhappy with their placement in the new matrix, as they feel they will remain marginalised in it.

The Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was also presented in the House, which makes provision to nominate one member from the Indian Medical Association and one member representing Association of Registered Medical Establishments or Ayush Medical Practitioners as member of Registration and Grievances Redressal Authority.

Another bill related to creating a permanent commission for the Dalits was also tabled in the Assembly.

The Assembly cleared the Drugs and Cosmetic (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2025, to check substandard and adulterated drugs, which was presented in the House by Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.

The bill empowers the state government to specify such authority and such officer to carry out the functions of the Central Drugs Laboratory and the Director in respect of drugs or cosmetics in Karnataka with the prior approval of the Central government.

The burden of proof will lie on the person from whose possession the drug or cosmetic was seized that the drug or cosmetic is not misbranded or adulterated under this law. The Act, once passed, will prescribe all the offences as cognizable and non-bailable.

The House also passed the Karnataka Road Safety Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to omit the upper limit in levy and collection of one-time cess at the time of vehicle registration.