BENGALURU: A representation has been submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, asking him to intervene and address issues arising from the implementation of internal reservation and roster management in public recruitment in Karnataka.
In the letter, community representatives highlighted concerns over the implementation of internal reservation within the Scheduled Castes quota, particularly the allocation of posts under the newly introduced sub-categories. They argued that the current method of applying the roster system in recruitment processes has created imbalances and denied fair representation to several groups.
The petition refers to the government order dated August 25, 2025, which reorganised the existing 17% reservation for Scheduled Castes into three internal categories: Category-A (6%), Category-B (6%) and Category-C (5%). According to the representation, the policy was introduced to ensure equitable distribution of opportunities among different communities within the Scheduled Castes. However, the letter claims that the way the authorities are implementing the policy —
particularly in recent recruitments at institutions like the Dharwad Agricultural University and Bangalore Development Authority — has resulted in disproportionate allocation of posts to one sub-category, leaving others without representation in certain recruitment cycles.
The petition points out that when recruitment is conducted post-wise rather than institution-wise, all available posts in a particular selection round may fall under a single category due to the roster sequence. This, the representation states, has triggered protests in several parts of the state, with affected communities alleging that the system is unfair.
The issue has become more complex following another government order dated February 27, 2026, which directed recruitment authorities to follow the earlier 15% reservation framework and roster points applicable prior to November 27, 2025, pending further clarity and in accordance with interim directions of the court.
The petitioners argued that whether the reservation is 17% or 15%, internal reservation must be implemented in a manner that ensures equitable opportunities for all sub-groups and does not exclude other social categories.
To illustrate their point, the representation provided a hypothetical example involving 19 posts. It stated that if each post is treated individually under the roster system, all posts could end up being allocated to one sub-category. However, if the entire institution is treated as a single unit for recruitment, the posts could be distributed more proportionately among categories such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBC groups and the general category.
The petitioners urged that the three posts reserved for Scheduled Castes in such a scenario could be divided equally among Category-A, Category-B and Category-C, thereby ensuring fair representation.
Calling the issue one of substantive justice, the representation cited Supreme Court observations that internal reservation must be based on rational criteria, cannot be arbitrary, and remains subject to judicial review.
The signatories requested CM Siddaramaiah to examine the matter and take necessary steps to ensure that recruitment policies guarantee equitable representation for all communities while adhering to constitutional principles of social justice.
Statewide agitation if govt fails to implement internal reservation: Bommai
Former Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai said that a statewide agitation will be launched if the state government fails to implement internal reservation for the SC community based on the report of Justice Nagamohan Das, as directed by the Supreme Court.
Speaking to media persons in Bengaluru, the former CM said if Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is truly committed, he should implement internal reservation according to the Justice Nagamohan Das report in accordance with the Supreme Court’s direction and there is no need to convene a special cabinet meeting to discuss it.
Bommai slammed the government for diverting funds earmarked for SC and ST communities to other purposes. He said nearly Rs 60,000 crore meant for these communities has been spent elsewhere. He said the government lacks clarity and concern regarding internal reservation. The ruling party had earlier accused the BJP of increasing reservation only as an election gimmick, but the BJP government had increased reservations in November, whereas elections were held in April, he said.