The Karnataka government has revealed intentions to reserve one per cent of all job vacancies in any service or job in all categories in the government, for transgender people. Appointments to these positions will be made via a direct recruitment process.
The state government has communicated to the Karnataka High Court that a draft notification was issued last month, to make amendments to Rule 9 of the Karnataka Civil Services (General Recruitment) Rules, to make provisions for this one per cent reservation for members of the transgender community.
Jobs will be reserved in each category of general merit, scheduled caste (SC), scheduled (ST) tribe, and each of the categories of other backward classes(OBC).
A copy of the draft notification was submitted to a division bench of the High Court, and no objection has been received to the same. Fifteen days’ time was given to the public to raise objections or concerns, if any. The draft notice also mentions that all appointing authorities will have to mandatorily introduce a separate column for ‘others’ in any application form for recruitment to any category of Group A, B, C, or D jobs, which has columns for male and female candidates, so that transgenders can be identified and become eligible for reservation. In case there are not enough eligible members from the transgender community available, to fill the one per cent reserved seats, then male or female candidates from the same category should be considered for the post.
