High-level panel set up to decide 10% quota in state

A high-level committee headed by chief secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, set up to examine the application of 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) in state government jobs and educational institutions, is slated to hold its first meeting on May 30.

The Constitution (103rd amendment) Act, 2019, enables persons from EWS (upper castes) to claim reservation that is currently available only for the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes.

In January this year, the Centre notified that 10% reservation would be provided for EWS in central government jobs and in admissions to educational institutions that come under the Centre.

Karnataka is yet to decide if the 10% reservation should be extended to state government jobs or educational institutions.

So far, the government has only permitted competent authorities to issue income and assets certificates to persons from the state who are eligible to claim the EWS reservation in central civil services and educational institutions.

A Constitutional amendment, officials said, was just an enabling provision that meant any state can decide whether or not to follow it.

“Implementing the 10% reservation will need a lot of preparation,” backward classes welfare secretary Mohammed Mohsin said. “For example, if this is to be implemented for admissions in engineering colleges through the Common Entrance Test, the question is who’ll pay for these seats. Also, the matter has been legally challenged. The committee will look into all these aspects and recommend the way forward to the government,” he said.

It is unlikely, officials said, that the 10% reservation will be available for higher education admission, especially for engineering courses, this academic year.

The government has reached out to Telangana, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, asking them to share how they had implemented the reservation.

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