Vokkaligas, Lingayats Share In Reservation:
Karnataka has categorized the two dominant communities, Vokkaligas and Lingayats, as “moderately backward” from the “backward” category in a move that could increase their share in reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC).
- Karnataka currently has 32% quota for OBC, and 17% and 7% quota for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, respectively, taking the total to 56%.
- The Panchamasali sub-sect of Veerashaiva Lingayats has demanded inclusion in the 2A category which has 15% quota from their current 3B category which has 5% quota.
- The Cabinet’s decision is based on the recommendations of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes
- The Vokkaliga community, which is currently in the 3A category, will be moved to a newly-created 2C category with 4% reservation.
- And the Lingayat community, which is in the 3B category, will now be in a new 2D category with 5% reservation.
- The Cabinet decision ensures that there is no sub-categorisation of the Lingayat community.
- The Lingayats are a dominant community who make up nearly 17% of Karnataka’s six crore population- followed by Vokkaligas.
- The new categories will not affect the existing reservation provided to other communities.
- The reservation will be applicable only in education and jobs, and “not political reservation.
Lingayats:
- The term Lingayat denotes a person who wears a personal linga, an iconic form of god Shiva, on the body which is received during the initiation ceremony.
- Lingayats are the followers of the 12th-century social reformer-philosopher poet, Basaveshwara.
