The Karnataka government has decided to put on hold the draft bill that ensured job quotas for Kannadigas in the private sector after industry bodies and experts expressed their reservations. The Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill 2024 was passed in the Cabinet meeting on July 15. It proposed the appointment of Kannadigas to 50 percent of management positions, 75 percent of non-management positions, and a 100 percent reservation for Group C and Group D posts in the private sector. However, the Chief Minister has posted on X that the bill will be put on hold and passed after wider consultations.
The Karnataka government had to step back on the Kannadigas quota bill after industry backlash. The industry leaders, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and Mohandas Pai, expressed their displeasure over the quota bill on social media. The IT industry body Nasscom had warned that the proposal would erode the technology hub status of Karnataka and reverse the progress made so far. The Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industries had sought a meeting with the Chief Minister to reconsider the proposed bill. After the anguish expressed by the private sector industries, the Chief Minister has said that the proposed bill is temporarily put on hold and will be implemented after consultations.
