Karnataka PwD quota: Draft Bill fines violators, false claims

Bengaluru: A fine of Rs 10,000 can be imposed on institutions failing to comply with 10% reservation for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) in educational institutions and 5% reservation in private institutions with 20 or more employees for a first-time contravention, a draft bill by the Labour Department says. 

The Karnataka Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Employment and Education Draft Bill, 2025, enables the enforcement authority to impose a penalty of Rs 50,000 to Rs 5,00,000 for any subsequent contravention.

The draft was published in the Gazette on November 21, and any objections or suggestions must be submitted within 30 days. 

On November 6, DH had reported that the government was proposing to introduce 10% reservation in educational institutions and 5% reservation in private establishments for PwDs.

The draft also penalises fraudulent claims, imposing a fine of up to Rs 1,00,000 and imprisonment of up to two years, subject to safeguards to ensure that legitimate claimants are not deterred.

In the event of a PwD person refusing to furnish information to the authority, a fine up to Rs 25,000 can be imposed, with an added Rs 1,000 per day for continued refusal after notice.

The bill proposes to set up a state advisory committee and a state regulatory authority. The authority will have 6-10 persons including government representatives and field experts.

Carry forward

In educational institutions, unfilled reserved seats shall be carried forward for up to three academic years and reported annually to the authority. The draft also provides a five-year age relaxation in admission and a five percent relaxation in cut-off marks for general category admissions where applicable. 

The Bill also proposes a similar carry-forward system for private companies, too, noting that vacancies shall be carried forward and retained in the employer’s open roster for three consecutive recruitment cycles.

As per the proposals, a post may be exempted from reservation only where the essential functions cannot be performed even after reasonable accommodation.

Enforcement authority

The Bill mandates the government to establish a state enforcement authority to receive complaints, conduct hearings, impose penalties and so on as per state government guidelines. 

Shanti Raghavan, founder of EnAble India, welcomed the government’s initiative and urged institutions to equip schools to create opportunities by making products and services accessible to people with disabilities. 

“When every teacher has baseline inclusive skills and materials are born-accessible, classrooms run better for all, outcomes improve, and the system becomes easier to emulate because people can see the value and the economic value. This is smart design that builds empathy and grows results.”