Karnataka Ministers Discuss New Job Reservation Bill for Kannadigas
Karnataka Labor Minister Santosh S Lad explained that the new Bill approved by the cabinet aims to reserve jobs for Kannadigas but allows outsourcing if local skills are not available. He emphasized that Karnataka has a skilled workforce due to its numerous educational institutions.
Minister Lad stated, “If such skills are not available, people can be outsourced and they can be given work here. But the Government is trying to bring in a law to give preference to locally available skills.” He added that the Bill requires 50% reservation in management jobs and 70% in non-management jobs for locals.
Addressing concerns from industrialists, Minister Priyank Kharge assured that there will be detailed consultations with the industry and respective ministries. He said, “The bill has been brought in by the Labour Department. They are yet to consult with the industry, the Minister of Industry and the Department of Information Technology. I am sure that before coming up with the rules of the bill, they will have due consultations with the respective ministries and more importantly, a wider consultation with the industry. So there is no need to panic.”
Karnataka Commerce and Industries Minister MB Patil also promised to resolve any confusion and ensure that the interests of both Kannadigas and industries are protected. He said, “We will resolve this confusion…We will sit with the CM and resolve this so that it does not have any adverse effect.”
On Tuesday, the Karnataka cabinet approved the Bill, which also seeks 100% reservation for locals in ‘C&D’ grade government jobs. Several industry leaders have raised concerns, calling the move “discriminatory” and warning that it may negatively impact the tech industry.
Doubts Revealed
Karnataka -: Karnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It has a rich culture and is known for its technology hub, Bengaluru.
Kannadigas -: Kannadigas are people who speak Kannada, the official language of Karnataka. They are the local residents of the state.
Job Reservation Bill -: A Job Reservation Bill is a law that reserves a certain percentage of jobs for specific groups of people. In this case, it reserves jobs for Kannadigas.
Outsourcing -: Outsourcing means hiring people from outside the local area or even from other countries to do jobs when local people with the required skills are not available.
Management Jobs -: Management jobs are positions where people are responsible for planning, directing, and overseeing the work of others in a company or organization.
Non-management Jobs -: Non-management jobs are positions where people do specific tasks and do not have the responsibility of overseeing others.
Consultations with industries -: Consultations with industries mean talking to business leaders and companies to understand their views and concerns about the new Bill.
Investments -: Investments refer to the money that businesses spend to start or grow their operations, which can create more jobs and boost the economy.
C&D grade government jobs -: ‘C&D’ grade government jobs are lower-level positions in the government, such as clerks and assistants, which are now reserved 100% for locals in Karnataka.
