Karnataka’s New Quota Regime - UPSC Current Affairs | Testbook.com

An Overview of Karnataka's Revised Quota Regime

The Karnataka Government has introduced significant changes in the guidelines for reservation in government jobs and education for backward classes and Scheduled Castes (SCs) in Karnataka.

Recent Amendments:

• Alterations to the backward class quota for Muslims: The previously allocated 4% backward classes quota for Muslims in the state has been abolished and reallotted to Lingayats and Vokkaligas.
  • The Chinnappa Reddy report had earlier recommended the introduction of the backward class quota for Muslims.
  • Seven extremely backward Muslim sub-castes will continue to have the 4% quota (under Category I).
  • Muslims can now claim reservations only under the 10% quota for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) .
  • The Backward Classes Commission's report guided the Government in introducing these changes.
    • The commission suggested that the 10% EWS quota could be utilized to “accommodate new demands” from “various backward classes for increased reservation”.
• Augmented quota for SCs and STs: In October 2022, the state government increased the quota for SCs and STs in government jobs and education by 2% and 4% respectively.
  • The Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or posts in the services under the state) Bill, 2022, increased the SC quota from 15% to 17%, and the ST quota from 3% to 7%.
• Establishment of quotas within the quota for SCs: Based on a cabinet sub-committee’s recommendations, the state government decided to establish the quotas within the quota for SCs.
  • The cabinet formulated its own formula for quotas within the quota, rejecting the recommendations of the Justice A J Sadashiva Commission on internal SC reservations.

A Comparative Analysis of the Old and New Reservation System in Karnataka

Image source: The Indian Express

Raised Concerns:

• The alteration in the OBC status of Muslims in the state was not based on any specific report or studies.
  • However, the Chief Minister argued that the Constitution doesn’t contain any provision for the reservation for religious minorities.
  • A 2010 judgment of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which declared reservations for Muslims under the OBC quota as unconstitutional, is also cited to justify the move.
• Several expert committees such as the Miller Commission (1918), Nagan Gowda Commission (1961), Havanur Commission (1975), Venkataswamy Commission (1983), and Chinnappa Reddy Commission (1990) have suggested that Muslims should be classified as a backward community based on their social and educational backwardness.
• Some critics argue that these modifications are made to gain an edge in the forthcoming assembly elections and are considered a part of communal politics.

Since the total reservations have exceeded the 50% limit set by the Supreme Court in the Indira Sawhney case (1992) , the state government has requested the Centre to incorporate these changes under the 9th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.