K'taka cabinet approves internal quotas for SCs; 3 groups to share 17% reservation

BENGALURU: After decades of deliberations, agitations and commissions, Congress govt in Karnataka on Tuesday decided to rework the internal reservation structure for Scheduled Castes (SCs).

An official announcement on this will be made during the ongoing assembly session on Wednesday.

According to some cabinet ministers, the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission , which had studied internal reservation among the 101 castes within the SC community, originally suggested five categories to ensure a well-balanced representation. However, govt chose to simplify the matrix and restrict it to three categories only.

According to the new framework, Madigas will receive 6% allocation, while Holeyas and Alemari castes will be eligible for 6% reservation jointly. The third category comprising Bhovi, Lambhani and others will be eligible for 5% reservation.

Backward classes welfare minister Shivaraj Tangadagi described the cabinet decision as one that carries consensus and acceptance across communities. Law and parliamentary affairs minister H K Patil, who briefed the media after the cabinet meeting, called it a landmark moment in social justice policymaking. "The cabinet meeting came out with a fruitful decision, which makes all ministers such as K H Muniyappa, H C Mahadevappa, and G Parameshwara happy," he said.

Former minister H Anjaneya, a long-time advocate for greater representation of the Madiga community, hailed the decision as historic. "I welcome the state gov's decision to grant a 6% reservation to the Madiga community," he said, adding: "Community members had anticipated a 7% reservation. However, they managed to secure 6%. This is a victory for the community's demand that persisted for the last 30 years."

The Madiga community, which has been at the forefront demanding equitable distribution within the SC quota, has historically argued that benefits of reservation were cornered disproportionately by a handful of castes.