Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah deletes X post on job reservation bill for Kannadigas amid backlash; minister clarifies
Karnataka labor minister said job reservations in private firms are capped at 70% for non-management roles and 50% for management-level positions.
Karnataka Kannadigas reservation bill news: Karnataka labor minister Santosh S Lad on Wednesday clarified that job reservations in private firms in the state are capped at 70 per cent for non-management roles and 50 per cent for management-level positions. Santosh Lad's clarification comes amid a huge backlash over chief minister Siddaramaiah's X (formally Twitter) post declaring that there would be 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas in all Group C and Group D jobs in private companies.
The chief minister, however, deleted the post in which he had announced the decision. “Our government's aspiration is that no Kannadigas should be deprived of jobs in the land of Kannada so that they can lead peaceful lives. Ours is a pro-Kannada government,” Siddaramaiah had posted.
Speaking Siddaramaiah's post, Santosh S Lad told news agency ANI, "At management (level), it has been decided to provide reservation to 50% of the people. At the non-management level, it has been decided to provide work to 70 per cent...If such skills are not available, people can be outsourced and they can be given work here. But the government is trying to bring in a law to give preference to locally available skills - if it is available here..."
Siddaramaiah had earlier said the Karnataka cabinet has approved a bill mandating 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas in private sector for Group C and D posts. The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting held on Monday.
"The Cabinet meeting held yesterday (Monday) approved a bill to make recruitment of 100 per cent Kannadigas mandatory for 'C and D' grade posts in all private industries in the state," Siddaramaiah said in a post on X.
News agency PTI citing in the law department reported that the 'Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024' will be tabled on Thursday in the assembly.
On the appointment of 'Local Candidates'', the bill says, "Any industry, factory or other establishments shall appoint fifty per cent of local candidates in management categories and seventy per cent in non-management categories."
If the candidates do not possess secondary school certificate with Kannada as a language, they must pass a Kannada proficiency test as specified by the 'Nodal Agency', it says.
If the qualified local candidates are not available, the establishments within three years with active collaboration of government or its agencies should take steps to train them, it says. If sufficient number of local candidates are not available, then an establishment may apply for relaxation from the provisions of this Act to the government. "Such orders passed by the Government shall be final: Provided that, the relaxation provided under this section shall not be less than 25 per cent for management category and 50 per cent for non-management categories," the proposed bill says.
Several industry leaders in the state objected to the move saying that it is "discriminatory" and raised apprehensions that the tech industry may suffer.
“Fascist, unconstitutional': Mohandas Pai
Mohandas Pai, chairman of Manipal Global Education Services, said the Bill is “fascist” and also unconstitutional.
"This bill should be junked. It is discriminatory, regressive and against the constitution @Jairam_Ramesh is govt to certify who we are? This is a fascist bill as in Animal Farm, unbelievable that @INCIndia can come up with a bill like this- a govt officer will sit on recruitment committees of the private sector? People have to take a language test?" Pai said in a post on 'X'.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, executive chairperson of Biocon Limited, said the state should not let this Bill affect its leading position in the domain of technology and there should be exemptions for highly skilled recruitment.
"As a tech hub, we need skilled talent and whilst the aim is to provide jobs for locals we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly skilled recruitment from this policy," Shaw posted on 'X'.
RK Misra, the co-chairman of ASSOCHAM Karnataka and the co-founder of YULU called the bill shortsighted and said if a government officer is appointed in every private company to monitor its implementation, it will scare away Indian IT and Global Capability Centres.
"Another genius move from Govt of Karnataka. Mandate LOCAL RESERVATION & APPOINT GOVT OFFICER IN EVERY COMPANY to monitor. This will scare Indian IT & GCCs. Short-sighted," Misra posted on 'X'.
(With inputs from agencies)
