The Karnataka Cabinet has approved the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill, 2024. This legislation mandates that local candidates must be appointed in 50% of management positions and 75% of non-management positions. The bill was cleared in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on July 15, 2024, and is expected to be tabled in the ongoing legislature session.
Eligibility Criteria for Local Candidates
According to the Act, a local candidate is defined as a person born in Karnataka who has been domiciled in the state for at least 15 years. Additionally, the candidate must be capable of speaking, reading, and writing Kannada legibly and must have passed a required test conducted by a nodal agency.
Criteria Include:
- Secondary school certificate with Kannada as a language
- Passing a Kannada proficiency test, as specified by the nodal agency
Training and Relaxations
If qualified local candidates are not available, industries and establishments are required to collaborate with the government to train local candidates within three years. The bill allows for relaxation of these provisions if an industry or establishment cannot find sufficient local candidates. Such requests for relaxation must be submitted to the government, which will conduct an inquiry and pass appropriate orders.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
The legislation stipulates penalties for non-compliance, ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹25,000. However, even with relaxations, the percentage of local candidates should not fall below 25% in management positions and 50% in non-management categories.
Background and Demand for Local Hiring
The bill has been introduced amid longstanding demands for job reservations for Kannadigas. Earlier in July, Kannada organizations held rallies across Karnataka, advocating for the immediate implementation of the Sarojini Mahishi report, which recommended quotas for locals in both government and private sector jobs. The Sarojini Mahishi Committee, chaired by former union minister and the first woman MP from Karnataka, Sarojini Mahishi, submitted a report in 1984 with 58 recommendations, including 100% reservation for locals in group C and D jobs in Central government departments and PSUs operating in Karnataka.
