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Karnataka cabinet clears 56K jobs, two bills against caste discrimination
The Karnataka cabinet approved 56,000 job recruitments, legislation against caste killings, and the Rohith Vemula Act to combat caste discrimination.
The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday approved filling 56,000 vacant government posts, cleared legislation to address caste killings and approved introducing the Rohith Vemula Act, which aims to prevent caste-based discrimination in educational institutions.
The recruitment decision is expected to benefit lakhs of job seekers and restart hiring that had been delayed by disputes over reservation policy and related legal proceedings. Officials said recruitment notifications would be issued after a revised reservation roster is prepared.
The hiring process had been put on hold after the state increased reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, raising the total quota to 56%. Because the increase is under judicial review, the cabinet decided to proceed under the existing 50% reservation system rather than wait for a final court verdict.
Under the current framework, Scheduled Castes will receive 15% reservation and Scheduled Tribes 3%, in line with the earlier system. The cabinet also decided not to implement internal reservation for Scheduled Castes in this round of recruitment, citing the need for additional legal and administrative clarity.
Since the earlier roster was prepared based on the proposed 56% reservation, a new roster will be created reflecting the 50% limit. Recruitment notifications will be issued once that process is complete.
The Finance Department has approved the recruitment plan. The government said it would abide by the court’s final ruling on reservation and make changes if required in future.
The decision follows recent protests by job seekers in Hubballi and Dharwad, where demonstrators demanded that the government fill long-pending vacancies. The Chief Minister had assured candidates that recruitment would begin soon, and the cabinet decision formalised that commitment.
Law against caste killing
In a separate move, the cabinet approved the Karnataka Marriage and Freedom of Choice of Spouse and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Honour and Tradition Bill, 2026, which is intended to prevent caste killings and violence against couples, particularly those in inter-caste relationships.
The bill provides for a minimum prison sentence of five years for caste killings, with the possibility of the maximum punishment under criminal law. It also introduces prison terms ranging from three years to life imprisonment and fines of up to ₹3 lakh for serious assaults on couples.
Under its provisions, establishing physical relations on the promise of inter-caste marriage and later refusing solely because of caste will be treated as rape.
The bill also mandates the creation of safe houses for couples facing threats and requires police to provide protection within six hours of receiving a request. It prohibits panchayats or groups from issuing or enforcing decisions against inter-caste and love marriages. Violations can result in prison terms ranging from six months to five years.
The legislation was prepared after the murder of Manya Patil in Hubballi, which brought renewed attention to caste-based violence in the state.
Rohith Vemula Act
The cabinet also approved the implementation of the Rohith Vemula Act, which aims to prevent caste-based atrocities in educational institutions. The government plans to introduce the bill in the next budget session.
The decision followed a letter from Rahul Gandhi to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urging the state to implement such a law. The Chief Minister had earlier assured that the act would be introduced.
