Tharoor slams Karnataka's job reservation bill as 'unconstitutional' and 'unwise'"
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Congress Working Committee member and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday criticised his party-ruled Karnataka's bill mandating job reservations for Kannadigas in the private sector, describing it as "unconstitutional" and "unwise".
He, however, expressed happiness over the Siddaramaiah-led government's decision to withhold the bill.
"That was not a wise decision. If every state brings such a law, it would be unconstitutional. According to the Constitution, every citizen has the right to live, work and travel freely in any part of India," Tharoor told reporters, reacting to a query.
He said the Supreme Court had rejected a similar bill when a government in Haryana tried to introduce it.
"I don't know why Karnataka thought of it, on what basis," the Thiruvananthapuram MP said, adding that businesses from the state would be relocated to neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala if such a law were implemented.
Earlier this week, the Karnataka state Cabinet had cleared the "Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill, 2024" on Monday, making it compulsory for private firms to reserve jobs for Kannadigas.
As the move drew criticism from the industry, with NASSCOM cautioning that companies would move out of Karnataka, the state government put the bill on hold.
The bill was expected to be tabled in the Assembly on Thursday.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
