BELAGAVI:  The Karnataka government today (December 20) tabled in the Legislative Assembly a bill intended  at replacing the ordinance to hike the reservation for Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (SC/STs) in the state.
The ordinance with the same title that was promulgated on October 23 increased reservation for SCs from 15 to 17 percent and for STs from 3 to 7 percent; it will be replaced by the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in the Services Under the State) bill, 2022.

On October 8, the State Cabinet formally approved raising the SC/ST quota.

"The ordinance was promulgated vide notification dated October 23 to accomplish the goal, and all provisions of the ordinance were brought into force with effect from November 1 because the matter was urgent and both Houses of the state legislature were not in session. The measure, it aims to repeal the aforementioned ordinance.

The decision to enhance the SC/ST quota was made in response to the commission's suggestion, which was led by former Karnataka High Court judge Justice H N Nagamohan Das.

The increase in the reservation will exceed the 50% ceiling set by the Supreme Court in the 1992 Indra Sawhney case, hence the opposition parties are dubious of the government's intentions with the ordinance or now the bill.

The opposition parties have questioned the administration over how it would enforce the quota hike decision because it has not yet been ring-fenced under the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, making it susceptible as it brings the number of reservations in Karnataka to 56 percent.

The Congress, led by opposition leader Siddaramaiah, had earlier asked the Speaker, Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri, for an adjournment motion so that the Assembly could discuss the reservation hike issue on a priority basis. The Congress claimed that the government's action was politically motivated and showed no genuine concern for the oppressed groups.

UP Assembly setting new rules from New Year

Nitish Kumar loses control In Assembly as Oppn questions hooch tragedy

Govt to take up Appropriation Bills, Anti-Maritime Piracy Bill in RS today