Bengaluru: The Karnataka cabinet, at a special meeting Friday, not only redistributed the existing 15% reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC) among three internal categories — A, B, and C — but also addressed the contentious issue of allocation when only a single post is available. In such cases, it decided to treat the post as part of SC general category, where merit will take precedence over internal classification. Social welfare minister HC Mahadevappa said that under this system, candidates from any of the three SC categories can be selected based on merit. To ensure equitable distribution, the govt has introduced a rotational and partially randomised roster system. Each block of 25 posts will follow a sequence — A, B, C in the first block; B, C, A in the next; followed by C, A, B before repeating. The sequence may also be adjusted based on which category received the least representation in the previous cycle. Chief minister Siddaramaiah said the resolution clears the way for immediate recruitment to 56,000 approved govt posts. He directed departments to withdraw earlier recruitment notifications issued under the previous 6:6:5 formula for 17% SC reservation and reissue them based on the revised 5.25:5.25:4.5 formula. Mahadevappa said recruitment notifications released by Karnataka Examinations Authority will also be withdrawn and replaced in line with the new policy. Siddaramaiah said the decision would ensure “equal justice for all communities” and expressed confidence that it would lead to fair representation during the recruitment process. He clarified that immediate recruitment would proceed under the existing reservation structure — 15% for SCs and 3% for Scheduled Tribes (STs) — instead of the proposed enhanced quotas of 17% and 7%, respectively. He said that if the high court later permits the enhanced 17% reservation — which takes overall reservation beyond the Supreme Court-mandated cap of 50% — the difference of around 6% would be treated as backlog. Describing it as one of the most “significant” decisions on internal SC reservation in the country, Siddaramaiah said the revised roster system would bring meaningful change to historically marginalised communities. Several ministers from the SC community, including food and civil supplies minister KH Muniyappa, home minister G Parameshwara, and backward classes minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, welcomed the decision, stating that it delivers justice across communities.
