Karnataka govt to mandate inclusion of 50-75% Kannadigas in private jobs, cabinet approves the bill
In a move to prioritize Kannadigas in the state, the Karnataka cabinet has approved the draft State Employment of Local Candidates in Industries Factories and Other Establishments Bill, which will mandate the reservation of 50 percent of management jobs and 75 percent of non-management jobs for Kannadigas.
This bill covers entire private sectors, including the IT sector, and it will be tabled in the current assembly session.
In an X post, Karnataka labor minister Santosh Lad said, “It is a pleasure to share with all of you that the bill to provide job reservation for Kannadigas in private sectors has been approved in the cabinet meeting. With the implementation of this bill, Kannadigas will get 50% to 75% reservation in private sector jobs in the state.”
The bill also highlights the penalty for companies that do not prioritize Kannadigas for jobs in the state. A ₹10,000 to ₹25,000 fine will be levied on those companies that do not follow the provisions in the bill, and ₹100 will be collected every day until the local employer count is as per the bill.
Who is a local candidate in Karnataka?
According to the draft bill, speaking Kannada does not make one a Kannadiga. To qualify, a person must have been domiciled in the state for 15 years and pass a nodal agency’s test.
Establishments can apply for exemptions, and the government will allow some relaxations under certain conditions. However, all private firms must hire only Kannadigas for group ‘C’ and ‘D’ blue-collar jobs.
In February, the minister for Kannada and culture, Shivaraj S Tangadagi, told the legislature that all MNCs operating in the state must prominently display the number of Kannadigas employed on notice boards. He also said that failure to comply with this requirement could result in the revocation of permissions granted to these companies.
Later, Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar ruled out such laws and called Bengaluru a global city, and the government has no such plans.