Karnataka job reservation row: The Karnataka cabinet’s approval of a job reservation bill aimed at providing quotas for Kannadigas in private sector organizations, industries, and enterprises has been ‘temporarily put on hold’.
After an entire day of debates and backlash, the Karnataka CMO informed that the Karnataka job reservation bill will be reviewed and decided in the coming days.
Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah took to microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) to inform about the temporary hold on the Karnataka job reservation bill.
“The bill intended to implement reservation for Kannadigas in private sector institutions, industries and enterprises is still in the preparation stage. A final decision will be taken after comprehensive discussion in the next cabinet meeting.” Siddaramaiah’s tweet read.
ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರಿಗೆ ಖಾಸಗಿ ವಲಯದ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗಳು, ಕೈಗಾರಿಕೆಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ಉದ್ದಿಮೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮೀಸಲಾತಿ ಕಲ್ಪಿಸುವ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಜಾರಿಗೆ ತರಲು ಉದ್ದೇಶಿಸಿದ್ದ ವಿಧೇಯಕವು ಇನ್ನೂ ಸಿದ್ಧತೆಯ ಹಂತದಲ್ಲಿದೆ.
ಮುಂದಿನ ಸಚಿವ ಸಂಪುಟ ಸಭೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಮಗ್ರವಾಗಿ ಚರ್ಚಿಸಿ ಅಂತಿಮ ನಿರ್ಣಯ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳಲಾಗುವುದು.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 17, 2024
Notably, this comes only hours after CM Siddaramaiah has taken to X to tweet about Kannadigas being deprived of jobs in their ‘homeland’. After deleting a tweet advocating ‘100 per cent reservation’ the Karnataka CM announced on social media platform X that the state Cabinet has approved a bill mandating 50% reservation for administrative posts and 75% for non-administrative roles in private industries and organizations for Kannadigas.
Karnataka Job Reservation Bill
The state Cabinet on Monday cleared the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, which makes it compulsory for private firms to reserve jobs for Kannadigas.
“Any industry, factory or other establishments shall appoint fifty per cent of local candidates in management categories and seventy percent in non-management categories,” the bill read.
If the candidates do not possess secondary school certificates with Kannada as a language, should pass a Kannada proficiency test as specified by the ‘Nodal Agency,’ it added.
The nodal agency will have powers to call for any records information or documents in the possession of an employer or occupier or manager of an establishment for the purpose of verifying the report.
The government may appoint an officer not below the rank of Assistant Labour Commissioner as the authorised officer for the purposes of compliance of the provisions of the Act.
Karnataka government faces industrial backlash
The Congress government in Karnataka faced criticism after advocating for ‘100% reservation’ for Kannadigas in the state’s private sector, prompting a defensive stance amidst backlash from business leaders and technology executives.
Ministers who endorsed the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill, 2024 during Monday’s Cabinet meeting assured industries of ongoing discussions to address concerns and apprehensions.
How industry leaders reacted?
Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw voiced support for Karnataka’s new bill mandating 50-75 per cent reservation for locals in private companies, emphasizing the need to balance this initiative with maintaining the state’s prominent position in technology.
Shaw highlighted the importance of exempting highly skilled positions from the policy to ensure continued access to skilled talent necessary for sustaining Karnataka’s status as a tech hub.
Businessman and philanthropist TV Mohandas Pai suggested that the government should increase investment in higher education, skill development, internships, and apprenticeship programs to promote job opportunities for Kannadigas.
