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Informist, Thursday, Jul 18, 2024

NEW DELHI – The Karnataka government has put on hold the controversial draft Bill, proposing 50% reservation for locals in Karnataka in private sector jobs, after a huge backlash from the industry. This came a day after the Karnataka Cabinet had approved a draft Bill mandating 50% reservations for 'Kannadigas' in private sector management jobs and 75% in non-management positions.

"The Bill intended to implement reservations for Kannadigas in private sector institutions, industries and enterprises is still in the preparation stage," Chief Minister of the state Siddaramaiah said. "A final decision will be taken after comprehensive discussion in the next Cabinet meeting," he wrote on microblogging site X, formerly twitter.

Initially, the chief minister declared on social media a 100% job reservation for Kannadigas in 'C' and 'D' job categories for private companies but later deleted the post after a fierce backlash. "It is paramount that Kannadigas get employment in Karnataka. Thus, the Cabinet has approved the proposal to give reservations to Kannadigas in the jobs of private companies," Karnataka's Minister for Commerce and Industries, Infrastructure M.B. Patil said.

The naysayers who took to the media their criticism of the Bill included Mohandas Pai, former chief financial officer of Infosys. "I think it is a very regressive, unnecessary, Draconian, unconstitutional, illegal bill," Pai told news agency Press Trust of India. 

Executive Chairperson of Biocon Ltd Kiran Mazumdar Shaw also took to X and said, "As a tech hub we need skilled talent and whilst the aim is to provide jobs for locals, we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly skilled recruitment from this policy."

The National Association of Software and Service Companies, a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group that primarily serves the Indian technology industry, issued a release condemning the move. The technology sector contributes to 25% of the state GDP and houses a quarter of the country's digital talent. Restrictions could force companies to relocate as local skilled talent becomes scarce, they said in a statement.  End

Reported by Priyasmita Dutta

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

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