The Bihar Assembly cleared a Bill to enhance the reservations in government sector jobs and educational institutions from the present 60 per cent (including 10 per cent mandated for the economically weaker sections by the Centre) to 75 per cent on Thursday.
Scheduled castes (SCs) will get 20 per cent of the quota as per the new bill, scheduled tribes (STs) will receive 2 per cent, other backward classes (OBCs) will get 18 per cent and extremely backward classes (EBCs) receive 25%.
The decision was made two days after the Bihar cabinet approved the plan to raise the reservation at a special meeting.
Then, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had declared that the Bill will be introduced to raise the quota for backward classes based on their population share in the state and the results of a caste census conducted there.
As per the initial set of caste survey results made public by the Bihar government on October 2, this year, 64 per cent of the state’s population is classified as a member of the backward classes, which include other backward classes (OBCs) and extremely backward classes (EBCs).
The socio economic data from the caste survey report, which was presented to the assembly on Tuesday, indicates that 34 per cent of people in Bihar are classified as “poor,” meaning that their monthly income is less than Rs 6,000.
Following the discussion of the caste survey report containing socioeconomic data, Kumar stated that the decision to increase the quota will be made feasible by the consensus choices made by all parties about the caste survey.
“Bihar has done detailed work to bring all the facts before everyone. After 75% quota, there will be 25% free seats. Increase in quota will allow OBCs and EBCs to have a larger share in keeping with their population. Those who say their caste numbers have come down or some castes have inflated figures are talking trash. This is the first caste survey after 1931. How do they know their numbers without any study?” he had asked.
The state’s opposition BJP also expressed support for the move to raise the quota.
The BJP fully endorsed raising the Bihar reservation ceiling. It is appropriate to raise the 16 per cent reservation to SCs to 20 per cent. The request by the BJP was to raise the one per cent reservation to 2 per cent for the STs. As far as reservations are concerned, the BJP has always supported all parties, said the state BJP president Samrat Chowdhary.