Karnataka moves to expand disability rights with new job and education quotas in private sector

The State government has released a draft of the Karnataka Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Employment and Education Bill, 2025, proposing 5% reservation for persons with disabilities in all private establishments with 20 or more employees.

The draft also mandates that educational institutions earmark 10% of seats in every course for students with disabilities, one of the State’s most expansive attempts to overhaul inclusion in employment and in higher education.

The draft sets out a phased introduction of the 5% job quota across the private sector.

Companies must distribute these posts across disability categories based on a formula prescribed by the proposed State regulatory authority, file annual compliance reports, and can carry forward unfilled posts for up to three recruitment cycles.

Exemptions will be granted only when essential job functions cannot be performed even with reasonable accommodation. 

For education, the Bill makes 10% reservation course-specific, not institution-level, preventing colleges from averaging seats across programmes.

Institutions must provide reasonable accommodation at the admission, classroom and examination stages, including scribes, extra time and alternative formats of question papers.

They must prepare Accessibility and Inclusion Plans within six months and make their physical and digital infrastructure fully accessible within five years.

Students with disabilities will receive relaxations such as a five-year upper-age extension and 5% cut-off relaxation, while educational loans must be available at concessional rates with simplified processes and dedicated facilitators. Unfilled seats may be carried forward for three years.

Beyond quotas, the Bill proposes comprehensive safeguards against discrimination in recruitment, promotion, training and service conditions.

Employers must provide reasonable accommodation such as assistive devices, flexible work arrangements and workplace modifications. Any denial on grounds of “undue hardship” must be explained in writing and may be reviewed by the State regulatory authority.

Employers are barred from disclosing disability-related information without informed consent, except where required for safety or legal compliance. Employees who acquire a disability during service cannot be terminated or demoted and must be reassigned or placed in a supernumerary post. 

To enforce the framework, the draft sets up two bodies — a State Regulatory Authority to oversee compliance, conduct audits and issue guidance, and a State Enforcement Authority to adjudicate complaints and award compensation. All establishments and educational institutions must appoint trained Grievance Redressal Officers and provide multiple accessible complaint channels. 

The government has sought objections and suggestions within 30 days.