Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has suggested increasing the reservation of government jobs and in state-run educational institutions for various social groups in the state. The proposal aims to raise the reservation to 65%, excluding the 10% reservation for individuals from Economically Weaker Sections mandated by the central government. If implemented, this would bring the total reservation in Bihar to a massive 75%.
Under the proposed revised quotas, Scheduled Caste candidates would receive 20% reservation, while those from Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) would get a 43% quota, a significant increase from the earlier 30%. Additionally, a reservation of 2% has been proposed for Scheduled Tribes (ST).
Currently, the reservation levels in Bihar are 18% for EBCs, 12% for Backward Classes, 16% for Scheduled Castes, and 1% for Scheduled Tribes. The proposed increase in reservation comes after the presentation of a full report on the contentious state-wide caste survey in the Bihar Assembly. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has claimed that the ruling Janata Dal (United)-Rashtriya Janata Dal duo inflated data related to the Yadav community and Muslims in the survey.
In response to these allegations, Nitish Kumar, whose deputy Tejashwi Yadav belongs to the Yadav community, criticized the BJP and demanded proof from the critics of the caste survey. The Yadavs are the largest OBC sub-group in Bihar, accounting for 14.27% of the population. It is worth noting that over 60% of Bihar’s population belongs to Backward or Extremely Backward Classes.
According to recent data, 34% of all families in Bihar survive on less than Rs 6,000 per month, and 42% of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families live in poverty. The data also reveals that less than 6% of individuals from Scheduled Castes have completed their schooling, while the overall percentage stands at 9%.
This proposal by Nitish Kumar aims to address the social and economic disparities in Bihar and provide opportunities for marginalized communities. However, it is yet to be seen how the proposal will be implemented and its impact on the state’s social fabric.
