SC/ST quota hike: Process for inclusion into 9th schedule has begun, says CM Bommai
Bengaluru, Feb 9: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said the sole aim of his government is to render justice to the SC/ST communities, and the process of including the quota hike decision in the ninth schedule of the constitution has started.
The CM was quoted as saying this while speaking at the inauguration of 'Janajagruthi Jathra Mahotsav' organised as part of Sri Maharshi Valmiki Jathra Mahotsav, in Davangere, by his office in a statement.
"Justice has been done to the oppressed communities as per Justice Nagmohan Das Commission report. While the reservation for the SC community has been hiked from 15 to 17 percent and for the Scheduled Tribe community it is up from 3 percent to 7 percent. This will benefit the youths of those two communities in jobs and education," Bommai noted.
Mere speech will not ensure social justice, he said adding the incumbent government has implemented the hiked quota and it is being followed in government recruitment.
The Karnataka legislature during the legislature session in Belagavi in December had passed a bill to hike the reservation for Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (SC/STs) in the state.
The Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or posts in the services under the state) bill, 2022, increased reservation for SCs from 15 to 17 per cent and for STs from 3 to 7 per cent.
The State Cabinet on October 8 accorded its formal approval to increase the SC/ST quota, and had subsequently issued an ordinance in this regard.
The decision to increase SC/ST quota was following the recommendation from a commission headed by a retired judge of Karnataka High Court Justice H N Nagamohan Das.
The opposition parties had supported the passage of the bill, but were skeptical about the government's intention with the implementation, as the hike in the reservation will breach the 50 per cent ceiling fixed by the Supreme Court in the 1992 Indra Sawhney case.
With the quota hike decision yet to be ring-fenced under the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, leaving it vulnerable, as it takes the reservation tally in Karnataka to 56 percent, the opposition parties had been questioning the government as to how they would implement it.
The inclusion under ninth schedule of the Constitution is to be done through a constitutional amendment.
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K’taka HC judge whose controversial remarks triggered controversy expresses regret before open court
Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court judge, Justice V Srishananda, on Saturday expressed regret in open court after facing backlash over his controversial remarks in his recent court hearings, reported Bar and Bench.
Two purported video clips from Justice V Srishananda’s court hearing that show him making inappropriate comments went viral across social media platforms.
On Saturday, Justice Srishananda invited members of the Advocates Association, Bengaluru, and senior lawyers to his courtroom at 2:30 PM, where he read out a note expressing regret for inappropriate comments.
Quoting Advocates Association President Vivek Subba Reddy, Bar and Bench wrote, “He expressed regret for the comments and clarified that it was not his intention to offend any community or members of the Bar. He also requested the association to relay this message to all members of the Bar.”
Reddy further stated, “We also advised him to encourage young lawyers in the courtroom and refrain from making any irrelevant remarks during hearings.”
Another senior lawyer present during the session confirmed to the legal news portal that Justice Srishananda also addressed comments directed at a woman lawyer, who was seen in one of the videos being reprimanded by the judge. The judge Justice Srishananda clarified that his remarks were not intended to target her (woman lawyer) specifically, but rather pertained to the appellant she was representing. “He explained that his comment was meant to imply that the appellant seemed to know a lot about the other party,” said the lawyer.
In addition, Justice Srishananda assured those present that he would avoid making such comments in the future.
The controversy came to light on September 19, when a video clip from an August 28 Court hearing surfaced on social media, showing Justice Srishananda referring to a Muslim-majority sub-locality in Bengaluru’s Goripalya as "Pakistan." Hours later, another video from the same courtroom emerged, in which the judge was seen making a gender-insensitive remark.
Following outrage over the viral videos, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant, and Hrishikesh Roy, on September 20 took a suo motu cognizance and sought a report from the Karnataka High Court Registrar General in connection with the viral video.
