A recently much-debated bill which sought to prescribe quotas for the Kannadiga people in the private sector through legislation by the Karnataka government under the leadership of Siddaramaiah has been provisionally withdrawn.
The drafted bill, which was still in the idea formative stage, was meant to ensure that Kannadigas got reservations in private organisations, industries, and enterprises. However, the government has agreed to agenda a broad review of the matter and take a stand during the next cabinet session.
The proposed reserve bill for the Kannadiga in private sector firms, industries, and enterprises is still on the drawing board; a detailed debate will be conducted at the next cabinet meeting to ratify the bill, Siddaramaiah posted on X.
This bill, passed by the cabinet, raised outrage from the industry thumbnails, who called it a regressive step of short sightedness. The industry heavyweights stated that such a move could indirectly press the state of Karnataka’s image of technology capital, which frequently looks for talent across this globe without any restrictions of origin.
Another official of Biocon, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, the managing director, also raised her voice, saying, “Being a technology hub, what we require most is technical talent, and while the goal is to help local talent, we cannot jeopardize technology leadership of this place in this regard There has to be riders that exclude the skilled recruitment from this policy.
To counter the criticism, Karnataka Minister MB Patil noted that the government will include a broader consultation to protect the Kannadiga and the industries equally.
The bill’s temporary shelving comes as Karnataka grapples with managing a fine balance between employing locals and retaining the state’s attractiveness for business and investment.
