Bengaluru, 18 March

The Karnataka government on Tuesday tabled a Bill in the Legislative Assembly to introduce a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in public contracts. The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was tabled by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil.

The Bill presented on Tuesday, aims to address unemployment among backward classes and promote their participation in government construction projects.

According to the statements and objects of reasons, the Bill also provides for reservations among Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes in the procurement of goods and services, construction works, in notified departments, for contracts valued between Rs 1-2 crore. It encourages their participation in such procurement to the extent of 17.5 per cent for persons belonging to SC, 6.95 per cent for those belonging to ST, 4 per cent for Category 1 of OBC, 15 per cent for Category 2A, and 4 per cent for Category 2B (Muslims).

The BJP has called the Karnataka government’s move to provide a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts an "unconstitutional misadventure" and vowed to oppose it at all levels, including challenging it in court, until it is revoked.

Currently, Karnataka provides reservations in civil works contracts for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) at 24 per cent, Other Backward Classes (OBC)–Category 1 at 4 per cent, and OBC–Category 2A at 15 per cent. The Bill seeks to fulfil a longstanding demand to include Muslims under Category 2B of the OBCs with a 4 per cent reservation. PTI