The Karnataka cabinet on Friday approved a revised system of sub-quotas for Scheduled Castes within the 15% overall reservation, allocating 5.25% each to right-hand and left-hand Dalit groups and 4.5% to other SC categories. The decision came at a special cabinet meeting and will enable recruitment for thousands of stalled government posts. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called it a historic move.
The decision was taken at a special cabinet meeting at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "The Cabinet decided to implement a quota of 5.25% each for the so-called right-hand Dalits and so-called left-hand Dalits and 4.5% for other SC groups." He added that the recruitment process would begin with notifications from Saturday onwards.
The approval follows recommendations from a technical committee formed on April 16, which suggested 5.3%, 5.3%, and 4.4%, slightly modified by the cabinet to 5.25%, 5.25%, and 4.5%. An earlier proposal for 17% was shelved to stay within the 50% reservation ceiling. The new formula applies to filling 56,432 posts announced in the state budget.
Law Minister H K Patil said, "A decision has been taken that should be a model for the country." Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa called it historic, while Home Minister G Parameshwara noted that Karnataka's model ensures justice for 101 SC communities. The state becomes the third after Haryana and Telangana to implement SC sub-quotas.
The move addresses long-standing demands amid court challenges and findings from commissions like Nagamohan Das. Siddaramaiah expressed confidence that Dalit organisations would agree, upholding the government's commitment to social justice.
