<p>Bengaluru: A delegation of SC (left)/Madiga leaders is expected to meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday and urge him to implement internal reservation within the 15 per cent cap for Scheduled Castes while recruiting candidates for 56,432 government jobs. </p><p>The delegation is expected to include Congress veterans like K H Muniyappa, R B Timmapur, H Anjaneya and L Hanumanthaiah. The proposed meeting comes after a government order sought to recruit as per the reservation order that was in force before December 28, 2022 (15per cent for SCs and 3 per cent for STs), effectively implying that this massive recruitment drive will not include internal reservation. </p><p>Though the previous BJP government enhanced the reservation share for SCs from 15per cent to 17per cent and for STs from 3per cent to 7per cent, it was only in August 2024 that the Supreme Court empowered states to provide internal reservation.</p>.Karnataka jobs: Decision on internal quota likely after notification.<p>Speaking to DH, Anjaneya - a former social welfare minister - explained that they were seeking a 6 per cent share for the Madigas within the 15 per cent reservation basket.</p><p>“They must implement internal reservation for these 56,432 jobs. All the hitherto committees and commissions (Justice A J Sadashiva Commission, J C Madhuswamy Committee and Justice H N Nagamohan Das Commission) have recommended 6per cent reservation for Madigas in both internal reservation matrices (15per cent and 17per cent). So, they have to give us (Madigas) 6per cent.”</p><p>Basavaraj Kowthal, convenor of the Committee for Internal Reservation for Social Justice, explained that activists from the Madiga community were gearing up for a protest on March 11.</p><p><strong>Legal hurdles</strong></p><p>However, there are differences among the SC ministers in the Cabinet. A minister from the SC community told DH that legal hurdles prevented the government from providing internal reservation when recruitment is made under the earlier 15per cent quota.</p><p>“This is a catch-22 situation for us. The Supreme Court has mandated that internal reservation must be based on empirical data. While we had data and studies to defend the internal reservation decision for 17per cent reservation, we cannot blindly implement internal quota for 15per cent - it will be challenged in the courts and struck down. We are committed to internal reservation and have passed an Act also, but it will be for subsequent recruitments,” the minister said.</p><p>As per the Cabinet decision on February 26, the state government will recruit 56,432 jobs within 30 days by following the earlier matrix of 50per cent reservation, subject to the High Court’s final decision. </p><p>Till then, 94 out of 100 jobs will be recruited (2 jobs for SCs and 4 jobs for STs will be kept on hold till the final decision of the High Court). If the decision is in favour of the SC and ST Reservation Act, 2022, those 6 posts will be allotted to the SCs and STs (2 for SCs and 4 for STs). If not, those jobs will go to the general category.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: A delegation of SC (left)/Madiga leaders is expected to meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday and urge him to implement internal reservation within the 15 per cent cap for Scheduled Castes while recruiting candidates for 56,432 government jobs. </p><p>The delegation is expected to include Congress veterans like K H Muniyappa, R B Timmapur, H Anjaneya and L Hanumanthaiah. The proposed meeting comes after a government order sought to recruit as per the reservation order that was in force before December 28, 2022 (15per cent for SCs and 3 per cent for STs), effectively implying that this massive recruitment drive will not include internal reservation. </p><p>Though the previous BJP government enhanced the reservation share for SCs from 15per cent to 17per cent and for STs from 3per cent to 7per cent, it was only in August 2024 that the Supreme Court empowered states to provide internal reservation.</p>.Karnataka jobs: Decision on internal quota likely after notification.<p>Speaking to DH, Anjaneya - a former social welfare minister - explained that they were seeking a 6 per cent share for the Madigas within the 15 per cent reservation basket.</p><p>“They must implement internal reservation for these 56,432 jobs. All the hitherto committees and commissions (Justice A J Sadashiva Commission, J C Madhuswamy Committee and Justice H N Nagamohan Das Commission) have recommended 6per cent reservation for Madigas in both internal reservation matrices (15per cent and 17per cent). So, they have to give us (Madigas) 6per cent.”</p><p>Basavaraj Kowthal, convenor of the Committee for Internal Reservation for Social Justice, explained that activists from the Madiga community were gearing up for a protest on March 11.</p><p><strong>Legal hurdles</strong></p><p>However, there are differences among the SC ministers in the Cabinet. A minister from the SC community told DH that legal hurdles prevented the government from providing internal reservation when recruitment is made under the earlier 15per cent quota.</p><p>“This is a catch-22 situation for us. The Supreme Court has mandated that internal reservation must be based on empirical data. While we had data and studies to defend the internal reservation decision for 17per cent reservation, we cannot blindly implement internal quota for 15per cent - it will be challenged in the courts and struck down. We are committed to internal reservation and have passed an Act also, but it will be for subsequent recruitments,” the minister said.</p><p>As per the Cabinet decision on February 26, the state government will recruit 56,432 jobs within 30 days by following the earlier matrix of 50per cent reservation, subject to the High Court’s final decision. </p><p>Till then, 94 out of 100 jobs will be recruited (2 jobs for SCs and 4 jobs for STs will be kept on hold till the final decision of the High Court). If the decision is in favour of the SC and ST Reservation Act, 2022, those 6 posts will be allotted to the SCs and STs (2 for SCs and 4 for STs). If not, those jobs will go to the general category.</p>
