Bihar Assembly Passes Bill to Increase Caste Quota to 65%

Patna: The Bihar State Assembly passed the Reservation Amendment Bill, paving the way for increased quotas in government jobs and educational institutions. The proposal, recently cleared by the Bihar Cabinet, aims to boost reservations for Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes in the state.

The ambitious plan proposes to elevate quotas for SC, ST, OBC, and Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) to 65%, surpassing the 50% limit set by the Supreme Court. With the addition of the Centre’s 10% quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), the total reservation could reach 75%.

The proposed reservation breakdown for Bihar includes 20% for SC, 2% for ST, and 43% for OBC and EBC. The existing reservations are 18% for EBCs, 12% for OBCs, 16% for SCs, 1% for STs, and 3% for women from backward classes in state jobs and educational institutions.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who proposed the increase in reservations, expressed a desire to implement the Bill promptly. He emphasized that the proposed changes were made after considering diverse opinions and urged the Centre to conduct a caste-based census to further adjust reservations if necessary.

In addition to reservation measures, Nitish Kumar pledged additional support for financially challenged families, committing to provide Rs 2 lakh and allocating over Rs 2.5 lakh crore for such initiatives. He also advocated for special state status for Bihar from the Centre.