The Karnataka Cabinet has approved a new internal reservation policy for Scheduled Castes (SCs), a significant move that will affect 101 communities. In a special meeting held on Tuesday, the cabinet discussed the recommendations from the Justice H N Nagmohan Das Commission, which had submitted its 1,766-page report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on August 4.
The internal reservation is intended to re-apportion the existing 17 per cent reservation for SCs. According to sources, the cabinet accepted the commission’s report but made some alterations to its recommendations. The new formula divides the 17 per cent quota into three categories: SC (Right), SC (Left), and a third group comprising "touchable" Dalit communities and most backward and nomadic communities.
As per the new matrix, the SC (Right) and SC (Left) groups will receive a quota of 6 per cent each. On the other hand, the third group will get a 5 per cent share. This is different from the commission's original proposal, which reportedly led to a five-category split. That proposal suggested 1 per cent for "most backward" communities, 6 per cent for SC (Left)/Madiga community, 5 per cent for SC (Right)/Holeya community, 4 per cent for "touchable" communities, and 1 per cent for Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida, and Adi Andhra communities.
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The commission’s report has not been officially made public. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil confirmed that the cabinet meeting was "fruitful" and that all ministers representing SC communities were satisfied with the outcome. Patil also said that the Chief Minister would make a formal announcement in the legislative assembly on Thursday, as the House is currently in session.
Minister for Backwards Class Development Shivaraj Tangadagi confirmed that the decision was "historical" and that the reservation was finalised with three groups. He explained that the "most backwards" communities and nomadic communities (group A) were merged with the "touchable" Dalits (Bhovi, Banjara, Korma, and Korcha), while the Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida, and Adi Andhra communities (group E) were added to the SC (Right) and SC (Left) groups.
Sources indicate that some of the most backward and nomadic communities are reportedly unhappy with the final decision. The government had established the Justice Nagmohan Das commission in November last year to gather empirical data for implementing internal reservation. This action was taken after a landmark Supreme Court verdict on August 1 last year, which affirmed that states have the constitutional power to create sub-classifications within SCs to ensure a fairer distribution of reservation benefits.
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