Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar warned IT firms on Sunday against discriminating against Kannadigas in hiring. A viral video alleged that companies reject resumes mentioning Kannada. While the government wants to protect local jobs, industry experts like Mohandas Pai said the state should focus on improving education and training instead.
The woman alleged that there were no college recruitments in Bengaluru and IT companies were averse to resumes, if it had ‘Kannada’ mentioned in it.
“They do not hire if Kannada is mentioned in the resume. They bring people from elsewhere for lower salaries. Because of this, we are not getting opportunities. Please provide a solution to this problem,” the woman said in the video widely circulated on social media.
There have been renewed efforts from various quarters seeking quotas and reservations for locals in the private sector. In 2024, then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah decided to hold off on a Bill approved by the Cabinet that assured reservation for locals.
The Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill 2024 was passed in the Cabinet meeting on 15 July that year but was put on hold after industries expressed concerns over the proposed legislation.
The Bill proposed nearly 50 percent reservation for Kannadigas in management positions, 75 percent of non-management roles, and 100 percent quota for Group C and D posts in the private sector.
Shivakumar, too, has followed suit, unwilling to be seen as someone working against the interests of Kannadigas.
On Sunday, he said the government will act against companies found to be indulging in practices that are biased against Kannadigas.
“In Karnataka, the Kannadiga is sovereign. The government will not allow the rights, dignity, and opportunities of Kannadigas to be disregarded for any reason. The world sees Bengaluru as India’s technology capital, and we take immense pride in the talent, skills, and capabilities of our Kannadigas,” he said.
The statement generated mixed reactions on social media with several backing the CM even as industry veteran Mohandas Pai called out the government on its stand.
The Aarin Capital chairperson said that the government should first resolve larger issues concerning education. The government , he added, should parallelly give “better higher education” in regions like the north-eastern districts of Karnataka.
“GER is low, soft skills are low there. Train them better. Over 60-70% of faculty in govt colleges are reportedly guest faculty. Please have permanent faculty, fund research in our universities. That is the way to create more highly skilled people in the time of AI,” the former CFO of Infosys said.