Bengaluru: In a significant move, the Karnataka government has formally approved the implementation of a long-standing demand for internal reservation among Scheduled Castes (SCs). Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced in the Legislative Assembly that the state Cabinet had decided to accept the report of the Justice H.N. Nagmohan Das Commission, though with some key modifications.
The one-man commission, which was constituted in November 2024, had been tasked with studying 101 Scheduled Castes across the state. After submitting its report on August 1, the government moved swiftly to act on its findings. The new policy divides the existing 17% SC quota into three distinct groups:
SC Left communities: 6% reservation
SC Right communities: 6% reservation
A combined third group: 5% reservation
This new sub-categorization was not a direct copy of the commission’s recommendations. The government made specific changes, including reassigning certain sub-castes. For instance, communities like Paraya and Mogera, which were initially placed in the SC Left category by the Commission, have been moved back to the SC Right category, which will now have a 6% reservation.
Furthermore, a decision was made to equally divide the Adi Karnataka, Adi Andhra, and Adi Dravida groups between the Left and Right categories. The “touchable” group (originally recommended for 4%) and 59 other castes (recommended for 1%) by the commission have been merged into a single group with a 5% sub-reservation.
In addition to the reservation changes, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced several other measures. The government will establish a Permanent Scheduled Castes Commission to regularly review caste mobility and related data. Other initiatives include a one-time age relaxation for SC candidates in government recruitment and the withdrawal of cases against those who participated in protests demanding internal reservation.
“The government has fulfilled a long-pending demand of Scheduled Castes by accepting the Justice Nagmohan Das report,” Siddaramaiah stated, while also noting that further changes to the policy could be considered once new census data becomes available.
However, the announcement was met with strong opposition. Proceedings in the House were disrupted by protests from the BJP, which demanded a detailed discussion on the issue. After their request for time to raise their points was denied, the Opposition staged a walkout.
Karnataka Government Approves Internal Reservation For Scheduled Castes, With Modifications
