Karnataka Govt To Include All Communities Not Covered Under Any Other Quota In EWS Category

In a bid to placate all communities in the state, the Karnataka cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, on Thursday (22 July) decided to include all those communities, not part of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes list, into the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation quota.

Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Basavaraj Bommai said that all those communities, which are not part of the SC/ST/OBC lists, will be eligible to apply for jobs as well as for education seats under EWS reservation category.

"The order regarding this will come out shortly," he said.

He said that all those families, whose income is less than Rs 8 lakh per annum, will be eligible under this EWS category reservations.

Earlier this year, Yediyurappa was under tremendous pressure from his own party leaders who were demanding better quota reservation. Seers from various communities had led movements across the state, demanding a hike in reservation quotas.

Panchamasali Lingayats, who are part of the politically-dominant Lingayat community too were seeking Category 2A status, Kurubas, the third-largest community in the state were seeking a Schedule Tribe tag and the Valmiki community was seeking a hike in reservation from 3.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent. Some prominent state BJP leaders, including incumbent ministers, had supported the demands.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)