Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah urges PM to introduce quota in private sector

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce a quota system in the private sector, reviving a demand the party often mentioned in its election manifestos.

The CM, who has welcomed the Centre's decision to take up caste enumeration alongside the census, also pressed for removing the 50% cap on reservations by amending the Constitution.

The Supreme Court has, in Indra Sawhney's case, laid down that the caste-based reservations cannot breach the 50% ceiling. The Government would not be able to give reservations to communities proportionate to their population if this cap exists. That would make it difficult to build an equitable society, Siddaramaiah said, speaking to the media.


The CM urged the PM to remove the quota ceiling and introduce a quota-system in the private sector within a set timeframe.

Siddaramaiah’s Friday’s comments came a day after AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge came down heavily on the Centre for “not being serious enough” about the caste enumeration and calling the funds earmarked for the purpose an “eyewash.”

The leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha said the Centre had set aside Rs 515 crore for the caste enumeration exercise, which, he said, was barely enough to do the job in just one state of Uttar Pradesh.