The Karnataka Government is working on a new policy aimed at providing up to 5% reservation in public sector jobs and 10% reservation in educational institutions to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
The Centre’s Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act) mandates “not less than 4% reservation” for persons with benchmark disabilities. It also stated that there be “not less than 5% reservation” in government higher education institutions for PwDs.
However, the union law does not apply to private sector jobs. Karnataka aims to rectify the same, hoping to aid over 20 lakh PwDs within the state, as per population projections for 2025.
“This project is close to my heart. They (PwDs) also have a fundamental right. While Article 14 guarantees equality to everyone, Articles 16 (1) and (4) mandate equal opportunities in public employment and allows quota for disadvantaged groups. Articles 16 (1) and (4) mandate equal opportunities in public employment and allows quota for disadvantaged groups. Article 41 directs the state to secure the right to work, education and public assistance for PwDs. There must be an administrative framework where will they fit in,” said Karnataka’s Labour Minister, Santosh Lad.
The concept note for the bill regarding the new reservation for PwDs is likely to be discussed in the next cabinet meeting. Following approval, the bill will be prepared to hopefully be discussed during the winter session of Karnataka’s Vidhan Sabha.
Some of the probable points to be added to the bill include:
- A carry-forward mandate for educational institutions to carry forward seats for up to three years in case there are no suitable candidates. Following that, the reservation will revert to 10%.
- A mandate for the publication of equal employment opportunity policies on the employer’s website, ensuring access to prospective PwD employees.
- Officers of the Department of Labour, Factories and Boilers and other authorities of the line department to act as inspectors-cum-facilitators to enforce the bill provisions.
As per the studies by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), companies that have inclusive hiring policies have 30% higher retention rate as well as increased innovation. As such, including PwDs in the workforce is expected to not only increase productivity but also add about 3-5% to Karnataka’s GDP.
“This is one of the many firsts from Karnataka at the national level. We want to support persons with disabilities, whom I wish to call persons with a determination,” Lad shared with the Economic Times.
If implemented, Karnataka will become the first Indian state to comply with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
