The Karnataka government was set to table the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, which sought to reserve private-sector jobs for locals. Notwithstanding the fact that the bill has been put on hold for now, the rhetoric of reservations for locals has been on the menu of policy options for policymakers across the country. In this podcast, we argue that such policies are detrimental to both the economy and society.
The argument for reservations for locals in managerial and non-managerial jobs in the private sector is an emotive one. The policy's intention, ostensibly, is to help locals get jobs and, in turn, preserve the region's demography. However, our analysis shows there are better ways to achieve these outcomes, and this policy will do more harm to locals and the state at large.
All Things Policy is a daily podcast on public policy brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru. Find out more on our research and other work here: https://takshashila.org.in/
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