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Bihar assembly has approved a hike in quotas for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Extremely Backward Classes and Other Backward Classes from the existing 50 per cent to 65 per cent.
Bills providing for the same in educational institutions and government jobs, drafted in the backdrop of a comprehensive caste survey conducted by the Nitish Kumar government, were passed unanimously through voice vote.
According to the bills, the quota for STs will be doubled, from one to two per cent, while for SCs it will be raised from 16 per cent to 20 per cent. For EBCs, the quota will be 25 per cent, up from 18 per cent, while for the OBCs, it will rise from 12 per cent to 15 per cent.
The decision comes two days after the proposal to increase the reservation was cleared by the Bihar cabinet in a special meeting.
At the time, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had said that the Bill would be brought in to effect the quota hike for backward classes in accordance with their share in the state’s population, as reflected in the findings of the caste survey held in the state.
According to the first set of caste survey findings released by the Bihar government on October 2 this year, backward classes, comprising other backward classes (OBCs) and extremely backward classes (EBCs), constitute 64% of the state’s population.
Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav told media as quoted by ANI , “This is for the first time in the history of India that a total of 75% reservation is given… The two bills about reservation in recruitment and educational institutions have been passed today… We increased the reservation for Dalits, Tribals, backwards class and extremely backward classes. The BJP does not ant this information to reach the people…”
