The Karnataka Cabinet approved and then put on hold a Bill mandating reservation in private sector jobs for local residents. The Bill not only makes the State unattractive for investments, but may also violate the Constitution.
The Bill defines a local candidate as anyone who was born in Karnataka, has been residing in the State for the last 15 years, and has studied Kannada as a subject at the secondary level or passed a language proficiency test. The Bill reserves half the seats at the managerial level and 70% at lower levels for all private sector establishments. It excludes State and Central government entities.