E-Paper
‘Consider 1% reservation for transgenders in corporations’: Karnataka HC tells state
On July 21, 2020, the Karnataka government had informed the HC that it has made provision for 1% horizontal reservation for transgenders in government employment.
The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday asked the state government to consider providing one percent reservation for transgender persons in state-owned corporations and statutory bodies.
While hearing an intervention application (IA) moved by Bengaluru based organisation, Sangama, a division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice NS Sanjay Gowda said, “The state government has taken an innovative step of providing 1% reservation to transgenders in the Karnataka Civil Services General Recruitment (Rules), 1977. The state government shall consider issuing direction through an advisory to all state-owned corporations and statutory bodies to provide for similar reservations. The state shall place on record appropriate action taken within 6 weeks.”
On July 21, 2020, the Karnataka government had informed the Karnataka High Court that it has made provision for one percent horizontal reservation for transgender persons in government employment.
“It is submitted that similar horizontal reservation also must be provided for transgender persons in State Boards and state corporations so that transgender persons have equal opportunity in public employment as well. Many of such public boards and corporations have their own statutory provisions for recruitment and do not have their own statutory provisions for recruitment and do not necessarily follow the Karnataka Civil Services (General Recruitment) Rules,” read the petition filed by Sangama.
Submitting that there are around 75-80 different state-owned corporations, senior advocate Jayna Kothari, representing the intervenor asked the government to issue a circular to consider reserving 1% for transgender persons in jobs. “We can’t implead each one of them,” she said.
The counsel appearing for the state government submitted that these corporations and boards have their own rules and regulations and that the state government can’t coerce them to do something.
The matter will be next heard on September 22.
