Karnataka Guv gives nod for Ordinance to hike SC, ST reservation

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government’s ordinance to increase jobs and education reservation quota for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) has recieved the Governor’s nod, paving the way for the Bommai government to implement it.

The state government had promulgated the ordinance on October 20 and sent it to Governor Thawarchand Gehlot for his assent.

Four days later, on Sunday, the Governor cleared the ordinance which raises the SC share by 2 percent and ST share by 4 percent in the state’s quota for educational institutions and government jobs. With the passage of the ordinance, SC quota will stand at 17 percent and ST quota at 7 percent in Karnataka.

Expressing happiness at the ordinance recieving the Governor’s nod, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said “It is a Deepavali gift from the state government for the SC/ST community.”

The state government plans to get the ordinance approved in both the Houses of the State Legislature.

The BJP government in Karnataka decided to increase the quota based on a report prepared by a committee headed by retired High Court Justice league H.N. Nagmohan Das.

However, the move to increase the reservation for SC/STs by the state government will mean that reservation will cross the Supreme Court’s 50 percent limit judgement and touch 56 percent in Karnataka.