Context:

• The Karnataka government has been besieged in recent weeks by demands from caste groups asking to be included among beneficiaries of job and education quotas in various categories, or to be placed in a category different from where they are currently.
• Despite an upper limit of 50 per cent reservations for all caste groups together, there is a strong push for quotas from even sub-sects of caste groups that are considered to be dominant communities.

What is Karnataka’s current reservation policy?

• Reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, and Muslims are capped at 50% in accordance with an order of the Supreme Court.
• The quota break-up is as follows: Category I (Backward Classes) 4%; Category II A (OBCs) 15%; Category II B (Muslims) 4%; Category III A (Vokkaligas, etc.) 4%; Category III B (Lingayats, Marathas, Bunts, Christians) 5%; SCs 15%; and STs 3%.
• A total 95 communities and their sub-sects are recognized as Backward Classes, and 102 communities and their sub-sects as OBCs.

What are the major communities in Karnataka in terms of population?

• The Veerashaiva Lingayats are considered the single largest entity in Karnataka’s 6-crore population, making up around 17%.
• Vokkaligas are at 15%, Muslims 9%, and Kurubas around 8%.
• The Backward Classes block of various sub-castes minus the Kurubas make up around 25%. SCs are around 15%, and STs 3%.

What are the new demands for reservations in Karnataka?

• The most pressing demands are from the agricultural Panchamasali sub-sect of the Veerashaiva Lingayats; the dominant Veerashaiva Lingayat community as a whole; the cattle-herding Kurubas; the tribal community of Valmiki Nayaks; and the agricultural community of Vokkaligas.
• The Panchamasali Lingayats are demanding inclusion in the OBC category to be eligible to avail 15% reservations; and the entire Veerashaiva Lingayat community too, is demanding OBC categorization for 15% reservation.
• The Kurubas want to be part of STs, who currently have 3% reservation, and the Valmiki Nayaks are demanding expansion of the ST quota from 3% to 7.5%. The Vokkaligas, who are a dominant community, are also demanding inclusion in the OBC category.

Assuming the demands are fulfilled, which communities will be impacted adversely?

• With over 100 OBC groups already identified as OBC, the inclusion of Lingayats and Vokkaligas — who make up a large chunk of the state’s population — will hit the smaller OBC groups.
• Similarly, the inclusion of the Kurubas will pinch the other STs, who already think their share of 3% quota is too small.
• Kuruba leaders have demanded that the quota should be raised to 13.5% to facilitate their inclusion.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explosion-of-quota-demands-who-wants-what-why-in-karnataka-b-s-yediyurappa-govt-7200147/

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