Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has put forward a proposal to raise the reservation quota for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes in government jobs and education to 65 percent. This move, which doesn’t include the central government’s 10 percent reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), would result in a total reservation of 75 percent, surpassing the Supreme Court’s 50 percent cap.
In a recent address to the state assembly, Nitish Kumar indicated his intention to introduce legislation during the ongoing session to implement this proposal. He emphasized that the combined quota for SCs and STs currently stands at 17 percent and should be increased to 22 percent. Similarly, the reservation for OBCs should be raised from the existing 30 percent to 43 percent.
The latest caste survey revealed that OBCs, including extremely backward classes, constitute a significant 63 percent of Bihar’s total population, while SCs and STs together account for just over 21 percent.
Additionally, the survey reported that over a third of Bihar’s families live in poverty, with a monthly income of Rs 6,000 or less. Out of approximately 2.97 crore families in the state, over 94 lakhs, or 34.13 percent, were classified as poor.
The JD(U)-RJD government conducted the caste census in Bihar after the central government declined to do so. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had previously accused the state government of inflating the numbers for Muslims and Yadavs as part of “appeasement politics,” but Nitish Kumar denied these allegations.
The Chief Minister also reiterated his request for Bihar to be granted special category status and announced his government’s intention to send the caste survey report to the Centre, seeking additional assistance to support vulnerable sections of society.
