The state government is now considering a change in the legislation, to make this move legally justifiable.
The Karnataka State Government wants 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas in private-sector blue-collar jobs. However, this goes against the Fundamental Rights provided by the Constitution of India, and will naturally have to face legal challenges. The move will violate Article 14 (right to equality) and Article 16 (right of equal opportunity).
Keeping this in mind, the State Government is now mulling the idea of introducing a change in the legislation to make this move legally justifiable.
Santosh Lad, labour minister of Karnataka told the Times of India that the government has still not deliberated implementing any option and all legal aspects are being looked into.
“The law department will always have its way, while the state government will always have its say. The standing order issued by the department continues to remain in force, but we are trying to safeguard the policy with possible legal measures to ensure that Kannadigas reap the benefits,” the minister was quoted in the English daily.
The government plans to provide this reservation to all individuals who have studied Kannadiga as a subject from classes 1–10 so that there is no discrimination on the basis of the origin of the person.
Besides, people with a domicile certificate of Karnataka and a working knowledge of Kannadiga will also be considered for this reservation. This will include people who studied Kannadiga during the early part of their schooling, but could not pursue it further because they moved to other states.