Cabinet sub-committee to look into SC/ST quota hike in Karnataka

Bengaluru: The Karnataka cabinet on Wednesday decided to constitute a cabinet sub-committee to examine increasing the reservation quota for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe in the state, amid demand for its enhancement proportional to the existing population.

“Several years ago SC/ST reservation quota was fixed, now the population has increased and there has been also demand from various quarters to revise it. To discuss increasing the quota for SC/ST, it has been decided to constitute a cabinet subcommittee,” Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhyswamy said.

Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting here, he said, the Chief Minister has been authorised to decide on the panel members.

“CM will announce the subcommittee in a week’s time. The committee will have detailed deliberations regarding which all categories should be given enhancement in reservation and submit its recommendations to the government at the earliest,” he added.

There has been demand to increase the SC quota from the current 15 per cent to 17 per cent, while the ST quota from 3 per cent to 7 per cent. The sub-committee is also likely to look into the report, submitted by the Justice Nagmohan Das Commission that was set up by the previous Congress-JD(S) coalition government to look into the demand for hike in reservation.

The commission in its report submitted in July has reportedly favoured increasing the reservation.

Social Welfare Minister B Sriramulu said the demand for increasing the SC/ST reservation has been a long standing one and there was pressure from several organisations. Sriramulu’s Valmiki (ST) community is seeking a hike in quota, while Kuruba community, which is considered politically influential in several parts of the state, has been demanding the ST tag.

Karnataka at present provides 15 per cent reservation for SCs, 3 per cent for STs and 32 per cent for the other backward classes (OBC), which adds up to 50 per cent.