Karnataka has approved a revised system of sub-quotas for Scheduled Castes (SCs) within the state's overall 15% reservation limit for Dalits. The decision was made at a special cabinet meeting at Vidhana Soudha, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announcing that a quota of 5.25% each will be allocated for right-hand and left-hand Dalits, and 4.5% for other SC groups.
The new structure keeps the total SC reservation at 15%, following consultations with community leaders and the recommendations of a technical committee. The government had earlier considered increasing the reservation to 17% and dividing it into 6%, 6%, and 5%, but this would have pushed the overall reservation in the state to 56%, exceeding the 50% ceiling.
The issue of internal reservation has been debated for years, particularly between groups historically classified as 'left-hand' and 'right-hand'. The latest decision follows a conference in Chitradurga led by Minister G Parameshwara, where representatives of 101 SC communities backed the proposal.
The new quota structure will be followed while filling 56,432 posts announced in the state budget. The government has expressed confidence that Dalit organisations will agree with the decision, which is seen as a model for the country.
