BENGALURU: The state cabinet on Wednesday decided to constitute a cabinet subcommittee to study the demand for increasing reservation of scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST) in Karnataka.
Law minister JC Madhuswamy said chief minister BS Yediyurappa will decide on members of the sub-committee. The decision has been taken considering the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission report recently submitted to the government. The commission was set up to look into the demand for increasing SC/ ST reservation.
The commission is understood to have recommended a hike in quota by about 2% for two categories — education and employment. The final report, prepared after an eight-month study, was submitted to Yediyurappa in July this year. At present, Karnataka has 15% reservation for 101 scheduled castes, 3% for 50 scheduled tribes and 32% for Other Backward Classes, including Muslims, Christians, and Jains.
Commission got 851 applications, held 38 meetings
The commission received 851 applications and suggestions and conducted 38 meetings across the state between November 2019 and June 2020.
During the previous coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy, there was a demand to increase reservation. In October 2019, the government constituted the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission to explore ways to meet the demand.
At that time, there was a proposal to increase SC reservation from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and for STs, from 3 per cent to 7 per cent. The Valmiki community, which belongs to the ST, demanded an increase in ST quota to 7.5 per cent.
The decision comes close on the heels of the Kuruba and Kodava communities demanding ST tags.
Valmiki strongman and social welfare department minister B Sriramulu, who has spearheaded the movement for his community, welcomed the decision.
The decision also appears to be a quid quo pro between Sriramulu and forest minister Anand Singh over the former not opposing the creation of the Vijayanagara district and the latter supporting the formation of the sub-committee.