Bengaluru. After Telangana, now the Congress government of Karnataka can increase the scope of reservation. The Siddaramaiah government will take a decision on the report of the Backward Classes Commission on 17 April. In its report, the Commission has recommended to increase OBC reservation from 32 per cent to 51 per cent. This report was submitted to Siddaramaiah’s Congress government in February 2024. It will be 85 percent when the reservation limit in Karnataka increases. If the government of Karnataka also increases the scope of reservation, then it will be contrary to the order of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has fixed the total reservation limit 50 percent. In such a situation, there is a screw in the decision to increase reservation.
The report of the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission states that 69.6 percent of the state population is OBCs. The Commission in its report recommended reservation in proportion to population. So that most people can get equal distribution of government facilities and opportunities. The Commission has also recommended the implementation of horizontal reservation in government jobs and education. The commission had said in the report that less than half of the population in Karnataka is getting the benefit of reservation. In Karnataka, the Backward Classes Commission started the survey in the year 2015. After which K. Jayaprakash Hegde completed the survey and then submitted a report to the Siddaramaiah government.
Earlier on 17 March 2024, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy announced 42 per cent reservation for OBCs. The Congress government of Telangana also conducted a caste survey. After which it was decided to increase the reservation. The special thing is that the caste survey was first conducted by the Nitish Kumar government of Bihar and on the basis of this, the law to increase reservation was passed from the assembly, but the Patna High Court had stayed it. The case is still under consideration in the Supreme Court. In such a situation, the question is arising that how will the government of Telangana and Karnataka implement the increased reservation? If the increased reservation is to be implemented, then the constitution will have to be amended for this. Only the central government can do this.
