Karnataka govt okays internal quota in SC communities, sets up commission

• The Karnataka Government has agreed to implement internal reservation for Scheduled Caste (SC) communities, and formed a one-man commission to ‘compile data’ and take further steps.

Highlights:

• The Karnataka Government has decided to implement internal reservation for SC communities, establishing a one-man commission to gather necessary data and proceed with implementation.

Key Details of the Commission:

• Announcement: The decision was made public after a Cabinet meeting. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil confirmed the commission would be led by a retired high court judge and would submit its report within three months.
• Recruitment Pause: Until the commission’s recommendations are submitted, new government job recruitment notifications will be halted.

Background and Legal Framework:

• Supreme Court Judgment: The internal reservation proposal aligns with a recent Supreme Court judgment, which emphasized the need for empirical data to support internal quotas for SC communities.
• Study of Telangana’s Model: Karnataka will refer to Telangana’s terms of reference for internal reservation to define parameters effectively.
• Past Legal Hurdles: Earlier, the Congress-led government stated that internal reservation could only proceed with an amendment to Article 341(3) of the Constitution, which specifies SC classifications.

Revisiting the Sadashiva Commission’s Findings:

• Previous Recommendations: The Sadashiva Commission, whose recommendations were rejected by the previous BJP government, suggested redistributing the 15% SC quota into sub-groups:
  • 6% to SC left
  • 5% to SC right
  • 3% to Bhovi, Lambani, Koracha, and Korama communities
  • 1% to other SC groups
• BJP’s 2023 Proposal: In March 2023, under then-Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, the BJP government increased SC reservations from 15% to 17% and introduced internal distribution:
  • 6% to SC left (29 communities, including Madigas)
  • 5.5% to SC right (25 communities, including Holeyas)
  • 4.5% to touchable SC groups (Banjaras, Bhovis)
  • 1% to other SC communities

Data Collection and Socio-Economic Survey Challenges:

• Empirical Data Requirement: The Supreme Court mandate for empirical data raises questions about the validity of the state’s socio-economic and educational survey data in legal contexts.
• Community Involvement: Social Welfare Minister H.C. Mahadevappa emphasized that all 101 SC communities would be consulted to ensure the data represents their needs accurately.

Community Reactions and Concerns:

• Lambani Community Protests: Following the BJP's internal reservation proposal, Lambani community members protested, including a violent incident at former CM B.S. Yediyurappa’s residence. They expressed concerns about back-channel attempts to implement the Sadashiva Commission’s recommendations.
• Legal Issues: The previous BJP proposal faced delays due to legal complexities within Karnataka’s reservation structure, which may also affect the current proposal.

Prelims Takeaways

• Article 341(3) of the Constitution