Bengaluru: The Siddharamaiah government yesterday announced 5% reservation for State civil services aspirants who have studied in Kannada medium from first standard to tenth standard. The move comes in the backdrop of the pressure being mounted by the Kannada Development Authority and Kannada activists over reservation in employment for Kannada medium students.

The idea was first mooted in 2001 during the Congress government led by the then Chief Minister S.M. Krishna and a sub-committee was constituted on the issue under the leadership of the then Primary and Secondary Education Minister A. H. Vishwanath who had also favoured 5% reservation for Kannada medium students. However, the proposal got rebooted recently with Siddharamaiah directing the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms to set the ball rolling.

According to the government circular issued yesterday evening, 5% reservation will be applicable for “candidates who have studied in Kannada medium from first to tenth standard where the qualifying examination prescribed for a post is SSLC or higher or from first standard to qualifying examination where the qualifying examination prescribed for a post is lower than SSLC.” Changes to this effect have been incorporated in the Karnataka Civil Services (General Recruitment) Rules-1977.