The Government of Karnataka has published the draft Karnataka Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Employment and Education Bill, 2025 for public consultation. The proposed law aims to significantly strengthen the rights of persons with disabilities (PwDs) across employment and education sectors, aligning with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The draft will be taken up for consideration after 30 days from publication in the Official Gazette – 24, NOVEMBER, 2025. Suggestions and objections may be submitted to the Principal Secretary, Labour Department, Vikasa Soudha, Bengaluru.
🔎 Key Objectives of the Draft Bill
- Ensure non-discrimination, reasonable accommodation, and equal opportunity for persons with disabilities.
- Create a regulatory and enforcement ecosystem with dedicated State-level bodies.
- Mandate reservations and inclusion plans in private sector employment and educational institutions.
- Provide clear time-bound implementation through phased commencement.
📌 Major Provisions at a Glance
1️⃣ Rights in Employment
Non-discrimination & Reasonable Accommodation
- No employer may discriminate at any stage: recruitment, promotion, training, transfer, or termination.
- Employers must process reasonable accommodation requests within 30 days and implement them unless causing “undue hardship,” which must be justified in writing.
- Confidentiality and informed consent for disability-related information are mandatory.
- Employees acquiring disability during service cannot be demoted or terminated; they must be placed in a suitable or supernumerary post with safeguards.
Private Sector Reservation
- 5% reservation in all sanctioned posts for establishments with 20 or more employees.
- Applied to direct recruitment and regularized posts.
- Vacancies may be carried forward for three recruitment cycles.
- Exemptions allowed only where essential job functions cannot be performed even with accommodation.
- Mandatory annual publication of workforce and accommodation data.
2️⃣ Rights in Education
Prohibition of Discrimination
- No denial or differential treatment in admission, exams, scholarships, progression, or academic activities.
10% Reservation in All Courses
- Educational institutions must reserve 10% seats for persons with disabilities.
- Vacant seats carried forward for three academic years.
- 5-year age relaxation and 5% cut-off relaxation where applicable.
Accessibility & Inclusion Plans
- Institutions must file an Accessibility and Inclusion Plan within 6 months.
- Priority accessibility within 2 years, full accessibility within 5 years.
- Assistive devices, scribes, accessible materials, inclusive pedagogy training are mandatory.
Educational Loans
- PwDs shall receive loans at concessional interest rates; institutions must simplify documentation and provide facilitation officers.
3️⃣ Strong Institutional & Enforcement Framework
State Regulatory Authority
- Chairperson + 6–10 members including legal, rehabilitation, industry and DPO representatives.
- Duties: compliance monitoring, inspections, data management, issuing directions, publishing reports.
State Enforcement Authority
- Quasi-judicial body to hear complaints, issue interim relief, levy penalties, and award compensation.
- Powers equivalent to a civil court.
- Mandated deadlines: admit/reject complaints in 15 days, interim orders within 15 days, disposal within 90 days.
District Regulatory Officers
- To assist with inspections, facilitation, and data collection.
4️⃣ Grievance Redressal & Data Safeguards
- Every private employer and educational institution must appoint a Grievance Redressal Officer.
- Multiple accessible channels for complaint filing (online, phone, helpdesks).
- Strict timelines: acknowledgment in 7 days, inquiry in 30 days, resolution in 90 days.
- Mandated annual compliance reports.
- Data to be protected, anonymized for public reporting, and retained only as necessary.
5️⃣ Penalties, Compensation & Incentives
Penalties
- First contravention: up to ₹10,000.
- Repeated violations: ₹50,000 to ₹5,00,000, with mandatory training or public disclosure.
- Penalties for fraudulent disability claims: up to ₹1,00,000 and possible imprisonment.
- Failure to furnish information: up to ₹25,000 plus ₹1,000 per day for continued non-compliance.
Compensation
- Enforcement Authority may award compensation for loss of wages, reinstatement, rehabilitation costs, and other relief.
Incentives
- Government may grant tax incentives, procurement preference, or “Inclusive Employer/Institution” certification.
6️⃣ Phased Implementation (Under Section 31)
- Within 180 days: Constitution of Authorities, model forms, reasonable accommodation guidelines.
- Within 12 months: Accessibility & Inclusion Plans for large employers (250+ employees) and all higher education institutions.
- Within 24 months: Priority accessibility measures for employers with 50+ employees and all educational institutions.
- Within 36 months: Full implementation of reservation obligations across all sectors.
📝 Public Consultation
The draft is open for feedback for 30 days from publication date.
Suggestions or objections must be sent to:
Principal Secretary to Government
Labour Department,
Vikasa Soudha, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Veedhi, Bengaluru.