A job quota that should be quashed right away Premium Share Via Read Full Story Political expediency in the country has often shown scant regard for constitutional propriety, let alone economic rationality. Laws are framed based on poll manifestos, regardless of whether such promises are legally tenable, leaving our courts to rule on their validity. The latest instance is Haryana’s enactment of a law that requires private firms to reserve 75% of all new jobs with a gross monthly salary of up to ₹50,000 for aspirants who have either lived in the state for 15 years or were born there. This was a pre-poll promise made by the Bharatiya Janata Party government’s coalition partner, the Jannayak Janta Party, and it found legislative support despite its violation of citizenship rights and marring of Haryana as an easy place to do business. Companies operating there now need to file quarterly reports of compliance. While the law has escape clauses that let employers hire outsiders—if, say, suitable local candidates are unavailable—the discretionary authority over approvals given to administrators will provide space for the kind of corruption our inspection raj has long been infamous for. This job quota should be scrapped right away. If not, the Supreme Court would be well advised to strike it down, suo moto, together with similarly exclusivist rules of recruitment in other states.