New Delhi: The Karnataka Cabinet on Friday (April 24) approved a revised internal reservation matrix for Scheduled Castes within the 15% quota, paving the way to resume stalled government recruitment.After a special Cabinet meeting at the Vidhana Soudha chaired by chief minister Siddaramaiah, the state government announced the sub-classification formula for 101 Scheduled Caste (SC) communities. The decision modifies the recommendations of a technical committee, formed on April 16 and headed by the chief secretary, which had initially suggested a distribution of 5.3%, 5.3% and 4.4%.The immediate implementation of this revised matrix will allow the state to begin filling 56,432 government vacancies announced in the budget. Siddaramaiah stated that the earlier notifications issued under a scrapped 6:6:5 ratio will be withdrawn, and new notifications will be issued to start the recruitment process immediately.BREAK UP: The Revised SC Quota Matrix (15% Total)Category 1 (5.25%): Dalit Left factions (Edagai), primarily consisting of Madiga and Adi Jambava allied castes.Category 2 (5.25%): Dalit Right factions (Balagai), primarily consisting of Holeya and Adi Karnataka allied castes.Category 3 (4.5%): Other SC communities, including Bhovi, Lambani, Koracha, Korama, and 59 nomadic (Alemari) groups.Historical and socio-political contextThe demand for internal reservation stems from historic disparities among Dalits. The most backward groups (the SC ‘left’) have long argued for better opportunities, noting that the blanket 15% quota was disproportionately availed by more dominant sections, such as the SC ‘right’. Historically, Right-hand groups were often linked to landholding and skilled occupations, while Left-hand groups were associated with marginalised work and faced greater social disadvantages.The government’s decision has come amid concerns raised by the Dalit right and “touchable” communities in Category 3, who felt the sub-classification restricted their opportunities in public education and employment.Tracing the background, Siddaramaiah noted that the move fulfils a promise made in the Congress party’s 2023 election manifesto and follows a consensus reached at a Chitradurga convention representing 101 SC communities. He added that the state had previously relied on the findings of the Justice A.J. Sadashiva Commission and the Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das Commission.While the latter’s recommendations were enacted into law, they faced implementation hurdles regarding the roster system.Legal constraints and the ‘backlog’.The state government had previously attempted to implement a 17% SC quota and a 7% Scheduled Tribe (ST) quota. However, to comply with the 50% reservation ceiling mandated by the Supreme Court in the 1992 Indra Sawhney case, the current implementation is capped at 15% and 3%, respectively.Siddaramaiah stated that the additional proposed quota (2% for SCs and 4% for STs) will be maintained as a backlog. “The 6% kept aside will remain as a backlog until the final court decision,” he said, referring to the ongoing case in the Karnataka high court regarding the state’s overall 56% reservation policy introduced by the previous government.Nomadic safeguards and roster rulesAddressing concerns from the 59 nomadic communities placed in Category 3 — who had approached the Karnataka high court against the earlier sub-classification — the government stipulated that one in every five posts reserved for this category will be dedicated exclusively to them. If no candidate from a nomadic community is available, the post will revert to other groups within Category 3.Social Welfare Minister H.C. Mahadevappa clarified the roster rules to address previous administrative confusion, noting that “some people instigated and created confusion.” He stated that internal reservation requires adequate vacancies to ensure opportunities for all three categories. If the total number of SC-reserved posts in a recruitment drive is below 15, the internal sub-quotas will not apply, and the posts will be open to all SC candidates based on merit.Political unanimityThe chief minister, flanked by Dalit Cabinet colleagues, stated the decision was unanimous. Ministers present included K.H. Muniyappa, G. Parameshwara, H.C. Mahadevappa, Priyank Kharge, and Satish Jarkiholi. Law and parliamentary affairs minister H.K. Patil stated that the law was framed by taking all communities and the House into confidence. The move makes Karnataka the third state, after Haryana and Telangana, to implement SC sub-quotas since the Supreme Court permitted sub-classification.Home minister G. Parameshwara noted that while Haryana, Punjab, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have similar models, Karnataka’s case is unique due to its 101 distinct SC communities. “The Karnataka model may be emulated as we have shown how to implement it legally, politically, and administratively,” he stated.