E-Paper
HC: Consider 1% reservation for transgenders in Corporations
On July 21 this year, the Karnataka government informed the high court that it has made the provision for 1% horizontal reservation for transgenders in government employment.
Bengaluru: The Karnataka high court on Wednesday asked the state government to consider issuing directions to state-owned corporations and statutory bodies to provide 1% reservation in recruitments for transgenders.
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 advisory to all state-owned corporations and statutory bodies to provide for similar reservation. State shall place on record appropriate action taken within 6 weeks.”
On July 21 this year, the Karnataka government informed the high court that it has made the provision for 1% horizontal reservation for transgenders 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 intervener, 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 their rules and regulations and that the state government could not coerce them into doing something.
The matter will be next heard on September 22.
