September 16 Meeting to Address Roster Ambiguities, DPAR to Review

Swift Summary

• A meeting is scheduled for September 16 to address problems wiht the new roster announced by the Karnataka State government related to internal reservation among Scheduled Castes.
• The meeting involves the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), the Social Welfare Department, and representatives from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Employees Association.
• The Employees Association raised concerns that the roster adjustments favor general category employees over Scheduled Tribes and Holeyas.
• Two versions of rosters were released earlier this month-on September 3 and september 6-but both reportedly contained errors according to association president D. chandrashekaraiah, citing conflict with a 1977 order on reservations.
• The new internal reservation policy allocates:

– 6% each for Dalit Left and Dalit Right groups;
– 5% for Korama, Koracha, Lambani, Bhovi communities along with other microscopic groups.

• Principal Secretary of Social Welfare Department, P. Manivannan,has written to DPAR Secretary K.G. Jagadish highlighting deviations in notified rules from December 2022 regarding roster guidelines. He urged swift action in reviewing these issues.

read more at: Original Article

Indian Opinion analysis

The ongoing controversy over Karnataka’s new roster system highlights challenges in implementing equitable internal reservations within marginalized groups like those under scheduled Castes (SCs). While such policies aim to ensure fair representation across subcategories within SC communities, complaints about deviations favoring general categories raise questions about procedural clarity.

Errors across multiple iterations (September 3 & September 6) suggest either administrative oversight or complexities inherent in balancing vertical vs horizontal quotas under established legal frameworks like the landmark order from 1977. The request by P.Manivannan for immediate review signals an effort toward rectifying these issues promptly thru inter-departmental coordination.

Broader implications lie not only in resolving technical inaccuracies but also reinforcing trust among affected communities who are reliant on nuanced affirmative actions that address historical inequalities effectively without creating fresh disparities.