Karnataka’s labor minister stated that job reservations for Karnataka Kannadigas in private firms are limited to 70% for non-management roles and 50% for management-level positions.
Karnataka Kannadigas reservation bill news:
On Wednesday, Karnataka labor minister Santosh S Lad clarified that job reservations in private firms in the state are limited to 70% for non-management roles and 50% for management-level positions. This clarification follows significant backlash over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s X (formerly Twitter) post, which declared 100% reservation for Kannadigas in all Group C and Group D jobs in private companies.
The chief minister subsequently deleted the post. “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 stated.
Addressing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s post, Karnataka labor minister Santosh S Lad informed ANI, “For management-level positions, it has been decided to provide 50% reservation. For non-management roles, 70% reservation has been decided. If such skills are not available locally, people can be outsourced and given work here. The government is working to introduce a law to prioritize locally available skills.”
Previously, Siddaramaiah announced that the Karnataka cabinet approved a bill mandating 100% reservation for Kannadigas in the private sector for Group C and D posts. This decision was made during the Cabinet meeting on Monday.
“The Cabinet meeting held yesterday (Monday) approved a bill to make the recruitment of 100% Kannadigas mandatory for Group C and D posts in all private industries in the state,” Siddaramaiah stated in a post on X.
According to news agency PTI, citing the law department, the ‘Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024’ will be presented in the assembly on Thursday.
Regarding the appointment of ‘Local Candidates,’ the bill states, “Any industry, factory, or other establishment shall appoint fifty per cent of local candidates in management categories and seventy per cent in non-management categories.”
The bill specifies that candidates who do not possess a secondary school certificate with Kannada as a language must pass a Kannada proficiency test as determined by the ‘Nodal Agency.’
If qualified local candidates are unavailable, establishments must, within three years and in active collaboration with the government or its agencies, take steps to train them. If a sufficient number of local candidates still cannot be found, an establishment may apply to the government for a relaxation from the Act’s provisions.
“Any orders passed by the Government shall be final: Provided that the relaxation granted under this section shall not be less than 25 per cent for management categories and 50 per cent for non-management categories,” the proposed bill states.
WHAT DOES THE BILL SAY?
The Bill defines a local candidate as someone born in Karnataka, domiciled in the state for at least 15 years, and capable of speaking, reading, and writing Kannada legibly.
Candidates must have a secondary school certificate with Kannada as a language. If they do not, they must pass a Kannada proficiency test as specified by the nodal agency designated by the government, according to the Bill.
If qualified local candidates are unavailable, industries and establishments, in collaboration with the government, must take steps to train local candidates within three years.
If a sufficient number of local candidates are still not available, companies may apply for relaxation from the Act’s provisions. However, the relaxation provided must not be less than 25% for management categories and 50% for non-management categories, the Bill mandates.
Failure to comply with the Employment of Local Candidates Act may result in penalties ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000.
BACKLASH FROM INDUSTRIALISTS
The Congress government’s decision faced criticism from industry leaders, who highlighted potential repercussions and the shortage of skilled labor.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson of Biocon, was the first business leader to respond. She emphasized that the policy should not compromise the state’s leading position in technology and called for exceptions for highly skilled recruitment. “As a tech hub, we need skilled talent. While the goal is to provide jobs for locals, this move should not affect our leading position in technology. There must be caveats exempting highly skilled recruitment from this policy,” she wrote on X, tagging Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, and state minister Priyank Kharge.
Businessman and philanthropist TV Mohandas Pai questioned the move and urged the government to invest more in skill development rather than mandating quotas for locals. “If you want to promote Kannadigas for jobs, invest more in higher education. Provide training, internships, and apprenticeship programs to make them skilled. Not like this. What are you trying to achieve with this?” he responded.
Chi. VSV Prasad, Managing Director of Swarna Group, also highlighted the shortage of employees. “Imposing such restrictions will ultimately halt all infrastructure projects, and industries will be forced to close. The government should prioritize Group C and D Kannadigas, but if they are unavailable, what alternatives do you suggest?” he asked, urging the government to make decisions based on industry analysis.
You might also be interested in – Karnataka court fines Zomato ₹60,000 for a missing ₹133 momo order
