The Perils Of Domicile Linked Job Reservations

In the recent past, many States like Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka and Telangana have passed laws mandating employers in the private sector to provide for employment upto a reserved percentage to local candidates from within the State. These laws not only provide for registration of both employers and prospective employees (as adjudged eligible therein) to ensure compliance, but also mobilise a veritable army of bureaucracy and officialdom to oversee and enforce the same.

Proponents of such laws will no doubt argue in favour of creating job opportunities for, and promoting the employment prospects of, the local workforce hailing from within a State. They would likely also point to the widespread loss of livelihood in urban and semi-urban regions of the country, which was further aggravated by the unfortunate exodus of migrants to their hometowns during the Covid-19 related nation-wide lockdown of 2020.