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The Hindu
3 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
CM announces permanent SC Commission to review categorisation periodically
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday announced a permanent commission for Scheduled Castes to review the categorisation from time to time, based on the mobility of castes within it and available data. Currently, a similar commission for Backward Classes functions in the State. The Chief Minister made the announcement in the Legislature while making a statement on the international reservation cleared by the Cabinet on Tuesday. Defending the Cabinet decision to bring down the number of categories to three from the recommended five, by merging two categories, Mr. Siddaramaiah told the Legislative Assembly that the decision was to ensure social justice and equality among the Scheduled Castes in education, public employment, etc. He said that while the government has decided to withdraw cases against those activists who fought for internal reservation, the Chief Minister also announced that the recruitment process, which has been stopped, will be restarted, and a one-time age relaxation for the eligibility criteria will be given. General census data Stating that the guidelines set by the order of the Supreme Court, which enabled States to implement internal reservation, have been followed, he said that the State government is committed to bringing changes in the categories based on the data that will come out as part of the General Census. 'I am happy to present the report of the commission headed by H.N. Nagamohan Das, which has been modified and accepted by the government. We believe that our decision has brought justice to a decades-long struggle. Our government has proved that Karnataka, which is a developed State, is in the forefront of social justice.' Instead of five categories of A, B, C, D and E recommended by the commission, the Chief Minister said that the government has decided to have Category 'A' for Dalit Left (Madigas) with 6%, Category 'B' for Dalit Right (Holeyas) with 6% and Category 'C' for 'touchables' (Lambani, Bhovi, Korma, Korcha and 59 microscopic communities) with 5%. Mr. Siddaramaiah said that after identifying that the commission had brought Paraya, Mogera and other castes related to the Dalit Right group with the Dalit Left group, the government had decided to bring them with the Dalit Right and increase the quota for the Dalit Right to 6% (the commission had recommended 5%). The population of 4.74 lakh identified as Adi Dravida, Adi Karnataka and Adi Andhra will be equally divided between the Dalit Left and Dalit Right categories, he added. Mr. Siddaramaiah said that a population of 5.22 lakh belonging to 59 castes, which was given 1% under Category 'A', has been grouped with 'touchable' castes that the commission has given a 4% quota due to technical reasons, and the quota for this has been raised to 5%. 'CM running away' In the Assembly, taking exception to the Speaker not allowing them to seek clarifications on the statement made by Mr. Siddaramaiah and also the Chief Minister leaving the House soon after making the statement, the Opposition BJP on Wednesday accused him of 'running away out of fear.' The Opposition BJP-JD(S) members staged a walkout, accusing the Speaker and government of taking away their rights to seek clarification. However, Law Minister H.K. Patil maintained that the internal reservation formula was acceptable to all communities and ridiculed the walkout by the Opposition as a 'political drama'. The Legislative Council too witnessed acrimonious scenes with the Opposition BJP members demanding a clarification. The Chief Minister, however, dismissed the Opposition's demand, stating that the government need not clarify the Cabinet's decision in the House. Leader of the Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said the Opposition had every right to seek clarification. Intervening, Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan said the previous BJP government lacked the guts to announce internal reservation. Mr. Patil said the BJP was not able to stand the fact that all groups, who were demanding internal reservation, are now lauding the government's decision. Amid a heated debate, Chairman Basavaraj Horatti adjourned the House for a short while.
News18
5 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
With 'Left-Right' Karnataka Quota Combination, Siddaramaiah & Congress Seek 'Upper Hand' Against BJP
Last Updated: Internal reservations for Dalits had been a three-decade-old demand that had become a vexed issue for every government, particularly at the time of elections The Karnataka cabinet decision on internal reservation is seen as a 'clever balancing act" of chief minister Siddaramaiah between the right and the left sects among the Scheduled Castes to consolidate his political base. The cabinet decided to provide reservation, sliced the 17% Scheduled Caste quota into three parts—6% each for Dalit Right (Holeyas) and Dalit Left (Madigas), and 5% for Lambanis, Koramas, Korachas, Bhovis and 59 other 'touchable" communities. The cabinet reduced the grouping recommended by the Justice Nagamohan Das commission from five to three. It also changed the pattern of reservation. The commission had suggested five categories—6% for Dalit Left, 5% for Dalit Right, 4% for Lambanis and Bhovis, 1% for Nomads, and 1% for Adi Karnataka and Adi Dravida. The cabinet merged these into three blocks: 6%, 6%, and 5%. The decision, taken late Tuesday night, saw colourful scenes of celebration with large crowds from Dalit groups gathering near Vidhana Soudha and distributing sweets. Aftermath of SC ruling Karnataka becomes the third state in the country to implement internal reservation, following Haryana and Telangana, after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of internal reservation among the 101 Scheduled Castes. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have already put in place arrangements using state legislation like the Arundhati Act. In March this year, the Karnataka government had announced that the Justice Nagamohan Das commission would conduct a fresh survey to classify sub-castes scientifically. The commission conducted training for the surveyors and asked them to utilise advanced technology to complete the survey in 30–40 days, after designing a comprehensive questionnaire for data collection. Internal reservations for Dalits had been a three-decade-old demand that had become a vexed issue for every government, particularly at the time of elections. It had reached a point when the vote of the Left Sect was seen as largely going to the BJP. Siddaramaiah's latest move is being seen as a 'master stroke" in this context by some leaders in the Congress party. 'This will certainly cement Siddaramaiah as the AHINDA leader. This move will only enhance his image as an undeniable elder in backward class politics. Nearly 25% of Karnataka's population benefits from this decision, and they will stand behind him. All Dalit communities are celebrating because they are now assured of equitable access to reservation benefits," said Indudhara Honnapura, noted Dalit activist and commentator. But the move went beyond the politics of reservation. Politically, it bolsters his position when the time comes in the next couple of months to hand over power to deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar. The unstated rotational power-sharing agreement is scheduled to come when Siddaramaiah completes two and a half years in the chief minister's seat. Siddaramaiah has now armed himself with a strong political shield. Congress's caste messaging was already on full display last month when the AICC's OBC Advisory Council met in Bengaluru. The meeting, led by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, chief minister Siddaramaiah, and Rahul Gandhi, had signalled that the party was intent on reclaiming its base among the backward classes and the scheduled castes and tribes. Just ahead of the Bihar elections, the Karnataka decision is being seen as part of that larger political messaging. As one senior Congressman put it: 'The Congress has been looking at reclaiming its OBC base, putting pressure on the Centre for a caste census, and standing behind Rahul Gandhi's 'jitni aabadi, utna haq' campaign. It has sent a strong message that the party is with all communities, especially the backward classes." 'We have decided to provide 6 per cent internal reservation to the communities identified as left-handed. The cabinet observed that Justice Nagamohan Das' committee had included right-hand castes like Paraya and Mogera with the left-handed community, the cabinet decided to provide 6 per cent to the right-hand Dalit as well," said Siddarmaiah while addressing the house. The CM stated that the cabinet decided to divide what was recommended by Justice Das as to be classified as ABCDE to provide internal reservation, into Category A (least handed caste with 6 per cent), Category B (right-handed castes with 6 per cent) and Category C (with 5 per cent) reservation. Siddaramaiah stated that the categorisation made under ABC, 'has been made with a view to ensure equality and fairness in providing opportunities in education, employment and other matters related to the 101 caste amongst the SC". 'Along with this, we have decided to distribute the Adi Karnataka, Adi Andhra, and Adi Dravida groups equally with the left-handed and right-handed castes," he explained. While the one-man commission headed by Justice Das had recommended 4 per cent reservation to the SCs, and that the 5,22,099 population of 59 different castes were classified under the A category and then gave them 1 per cent reservation, the cabinet, due to some technical reason, made the decision to combine both these groups and allot 5 per cent reservation. 'While taking this decision, the cabinet has kept in mind the principles enshrined in the judgment of the honourable SC,' Siddaramaiah said. Addressing the house, the Karnataka CM also said that 'the government is committed to making any modifications in the decision taken, if any, based on the data of the next national census". 'The Madiga community, despite being large in number, was not getting its share of reservation proportionate to its population. Now they will. All communities will receive what is due to them. Nobody can take away the other's share. This is a welcome move and a big boost for the government itself," explained Indudhar. Back in October 2024, all government recruitments had been put on hold until sub-classification was settled based on the report to be submitted by the one-man commission. With the cabinet's decision done, the Karnataka government announced immediate implementation and said pending posts would now be filled. 'Recruitments must be implemented immediately. All appointments should be made quickly so that every community gets its rightful opportunity," added Indudhar. Inside the cabinet meeting When the issue was taken up for detailed discussion, social welfare principal secretary P Manivannan presented the report as a 'framework of social justice". He broke down the population figures region-wise to justify the allocations. Former minister H Anjaneya welcomed the move and said, 'We got 6%. We had asked for 7%, but I am happy with 6%. The CM gave what was possible. This will benefit many in our community." Law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil called the meeting 'fruitful", saying ministers from all SC communities were satisfied. Backward class development minister Shivaraj Tangadagi termed the decision 'historic", while sources indicated that a section of the most-backward and nomadic groups were still unhappy with the merger of categories. The report itself has not been made public. The move directly follows the Supreme Court's August 2022 ruling, delivered by a seven-judge bench headed by then-CJI DY Chandrachud, that permitted states to sub-classify SCs. The judgment overturned a 2004 verdict that had treated SCs as a homogenous group and barred internal divisions. The BJP, while cautious, stated that due credit should be given to the party, as it was under its rule that internal reservations were first pushed. Just ahead of the 2023 assembly elections, the previous BJP government led by Basavaraj Bommai introduced internal reservations for SCs, allotting 6% to SC (Left), 5.5% to SC (Right), 4.5% to SC (Touchables), and 1% to SC (Others). The BJP government during its term had then set up the Justice AJ Sadashiva Commission. That commission had submitted its report in 2012, recommending internal reservations. The Sadashiva Commission had proposed classifying the 101 SC sub-castes into four categories—Right, Left, Touchables, and Others—to ensure fair distribution of quotas. But this move was seen as political and timed just before the elections as a way to woo Dalits in their favour. top videos View all State president BY Vijayendra reacted: 'The Siddaramaiah government has been discussing this for 2.5 years, but failed to find a solution. During the BJP regime, the SC quota was raised from 15% to 17% and the ST quota from 3% to 7%. What we implemented is only being continued." He said that 'no injustice should be done to any SC community" and urged the government to ensure no group is pushed into fresh protests over discrimination. About the Author Rohini Swamy Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18's digital platform. She has previously worked with More Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : BJP caste congress Dalit karnataka reservation Siddaramaiah view comments Location : Bengaluru, India, India First Published: August 20, 2025, 21:01 IST News politics With 'Left-Right' Karnataka Quota Combination, Siddaramaiah & Congress Seek 'Upper Hand' Against BJP Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. 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The Hindu
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Internal quota: Most-backward, microscopic communities disappointed
A day after the State Cabinet decided on the categories to provide internal reservation among the Scheduled Castes, a section of the community has expressed anguish at the scrapping of a category that provided 1% quota for 59 microscopic communities and grouping them with the 'touchable' communities of Korama, Koracha, Lambani and Bhovi instead. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in his statement to the Legislature, defended the decision, saying that it was done due to technical issues. Sources also said that fixing roaster points would have been difficult for 1%. Their numbers The 59 castes, of which 49 have been identified as nomadic and semi-nomadic, together constitute about 5.22 lakh or 4.97% of the total enumerated population. They have been grouped with the 'touchable' castes whose population is about 28.34 lakh or 26.97% of the total SC population. The microscopic communities were given Category A with 1% reservation since they were classified as most-backward based on socio-economic and educational backwardness. According to the survey results, the communities are extremely backwards in education, with a low literacy rate, live in poor conditions, and very few of them make it to technical and higher education. All communities together have only 0.86% representation in government employment and 0.09% in political representation, with 31.83% owning land. Very few from these 59 communities have received government benefits. It was for this specific reason that they were in Category A to receive priority. How Dalit Right and Left groups see it Welcoming the government's decision to implement internal reservation, the Federation for Social Justice for Scheduled Castes has thanked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for making a 'historic decision'. 'With commitment to social justice, internal reservation has been announced. We also welcome the decision to withdraw cases against activists fighting for the cause,' said the federation coordinator, Basawaraj Kowthal. He, however, urged the government to consider reservations for microscopic communities. The Dalit Right (Holeyas), who were up in arms against the recommendations, have termed the decision as 'satisfactory' since their plea had been considered, but 'not completely happy'. 'The government should segregate Right communities that are grouped with Left communities and vice versa when it notifies the decision. There is still a lot of confusion about the lists,' said Karnataka Rajya Chalavadi Mahasabha coordinator D. Chandrashkaraiah. He also said that the government should re-examine categories and the reservation matrix once the Centre releases data on castes that will be collected as part of the next General Census. 'Why were the commission's recommendations overlooked to accommodate political interests?' asked K. Lokesh Chavadi, from the Gorangi community with a population of 2,467. Mr. Chavadi is the president of Karnataka Alemari, Are Alemari Vimuktha Budukattugala Okkoota. 'When the numerically bigger Madiga community (Dalit Left) had to fight for 35 years, imagine how much more time we will have to fight for justice,' he added. He explained that they would have to compete with the 'touchable' communities, who are numerically larger, and better off socio-economically and educationally. As many as 50 communities in this group of 59 have populations of less than 10,000, with six communities having a population of less than 100. The population of 17 communities is less than 1,000. Masthi, with 33 members, has been identified as the smallest community. Future plans Meanwhile,the Federation for Social Justice for Scheduled Castes, which has been protesting in Freedom Park here since August 11 seeking early implementation of the report submitted by a one-man commission headed by retired judge H.N. Nagamohan Das, has criticised the Cabinet decision for 'letting down' microscopic communities. Plans are being chalked out to launch an indefinite hunger strike. On Thursday, thousands from nomadic and semi-nomadic communities are congregating at Freedom Park.
Scroll.in
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Karnataka Cabinet clears internal reservations for Scheduled Castes
The Karnataka Cabinet on Tuesday approved the sub-classification of the 17% Scheduled Castes quota for reservations for education and government jobs in the state, The Hindu reported. The Dalit Right (Holeyas) and Dalit Left (Madigas) groups will get six percentage points of the reservation matrix each. The remaining five percentage points will be given to other Scheduled Caste communities, according to The New Indian Express. The decision came a year after the Supreme Court on August 1, 2024, allowed the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for providing reservations in education and government jobs. An ordinance to implement the sub-classification will be promulgated after the Monsoon Session of the state Assembly, The Hindu quoted unidentified officials as saying. The 1% quota given to nomadic castes and Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida and Adi Andhra communities, as recommended by the Justice HN Nagamohan Das Commission, will be dropped, The Hindu reported. The commission had in its August 4 report recommended 6% quota for the Dalit Left, 5% for the Dalit Right, and 4% for the Lambanis, Koramas, Korachas and Bhovis communities, or touchable castes. It had also recommended a 1% quota for nomadic tribes and 1% for Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida and Adi Andhra groups. Instead of the five categories recommended by the panel, the Cabinet approved three. Category E, recommended for the Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida and Adi Andhra communities, was merged with the Dalit Right. Category A will be merged with the touchable castes, The Hindu reported. The Dalit Right groups and the touchable communities had opposed the fresh categorisation as they felt that their share in the reservation matrix was being reduced, according to the newspaper.
Hindustan Times
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Karnataka Cabinet clears proposal on internal quota for SCs
Bengaluru: The Karnataka cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to divide the Scheduled Castes (SC) reservation benefits internally among three broader sub-categories, in a decision aimed at paving the way for the implementation of internal reservation for Dalits. The Karnataka cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to divide the Scheduled Castes (SC) reservation benefits internally among three broader sub-categories, in a decision aimed at paving the way for the implementation of internal reservation for Dalits. (HT PHOTO) According to the proposal, the state will divide the 17% SC quota among three sub-categories of communities — 6% for Dalit Right (Holeya), 6% for Dalit Left (Madiga), and 5% for Lambanis, Kormas, Korchas, Bhovis and 59 nomadic groups. Once implemented, Karnataka will become only the fourth state after Telangana, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh, to implement internal SC reservations. 'Chief minister Siddaramaiah will make a statement with this regard in the legislature on Wednesday,' law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil said. The decision comes nearly a year after the Supreme Court permitted states to sub-classify scheduled castes, noting that the category is socially diverse and that benefits often fail to reach the most backward groups. Dalit Left communities, for instance, had long complained that only a few dominant sub-castes were cornering opportunities. The government's formula differs from the one proposed by retired judge HN Nagmohan Das, who headed a one-man commission that studied the issue. His report, submitted recently, suggested splitting the 17% quota across five groups — 6% for Dalit Left, 5% for Dalit Right, 4% for touchable castes, and 1% each for nomadic groups and Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida and Adi Andhra. Instead, the government collapsed the five categories into three, merging nomadic communities with the touchable castes, and placing the Adi groups within Dalit Right. Defending the consolidation of categories, Kannada and culture and backward classes minister Shivaraj Tangadagi said: 'This is a historic decision taken under the leadership of chief minister Siddaramaiah. We are all together. Nobody will be left behind. Earlier, all communities were competing as a pool of 101 castes.' The commission's recommendations were based on a two-month survey beginning May 5, which covered 94% of the state's estimated 11.6 million Scheduled Caste population. But in Bengaluru, it reached just over half of the city's 1.3 million SC residents. Sections of Dalit Right and 'touchable castes' had opposed earlier proposals, claiming their share would shrink compared to what a 2022 cabinet sub-committee, led by then law minister J Madhuswamy, had suggested. The special cabinet meeting to seal the decision was originally slated for Saturday but was pushed to Tuesday amid differences within the government. Home minister G Parameshwar held discussions with five Dalit ministers, and retired officials from Dalit communities also played a role in the consensus-building exercise. The opposition BJP accused the government of delay. Earlier in the day, state party president BY Vijayendra said: 'The Siddaramaiah government has been discussing internal reservation for the last 2.5 years, but still, they have not given any solution. During the previous BJP regime, then chief minister Basavaraj Bommai had increased SC reservation from 15 to 17% and for ST it was increased from 3 to 7%.' He recalled that just ahead of the 2023 elections, the Bommai cabinet had already recommended a distribution formula to the Centre -- 6% for SC Left, 5.5% for SC Right, 4.5% for touchables, and 1% for others. 'BJP's stand is very clear that whatever the previous BJP government had decided, the same thing has to be implemented by Siddaramaiah and no injustice should happen to any SC community,' Vijayendra added.
