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Bihar: The Bihar Cabinet on Tuesday passed a proposal to raise the reservation quota for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) to a total of 75% from the existing 50%. A bill will be brought in the assembly on the same during the ongoing winter session.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made a statement in this regard while concluding the debate on the Caste Survey report, which was tabled in the assembly on Tuesday. The proposal seeks to increase the reservation for OBCs and EBCs to a combined 43% from the current 30%, while the quota for SCs will be hiked to 20% from 16% and for STs to 2% from 1%. The reservation for EWS will remain unchanged at 10%.
The decision to increase the reservation quota comes ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and is seen as a significant move by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to consolidate his support base among the backward classes and marginalized communities. The Caste Survey report revealed that OBCs (27.13 per cent) and the extremely backward classes sub-group (36 per cent) account for a whopping 63 per cent of the state’s total of 13.07 crore, while SCs and STs together were slightly over 21 per cent.
The Bihar Cabinet approving the proposal to increase the reservation quota to 75% is a major development that has the potential to reshape the social and political landscape of the state. The move is likely to have far-reaching implications and other states will also be keeping a close eye on it. As the Bill is being debated and discussed in the Assembly, it will be important to ensure that the interests of all communities are kept in mind and the ultimate goal of achieving greater social justice and equality is maintained.
According to the report tabled in the assembly by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, the state is home to about 2.97 crore families out of which more than 94 lakh (34.13 per cent) live on an income of Rs 6,000 or less a month.The decision to increase the reservation quota is expected to benefit a large number of people from backward classes and marginalized communities in Bihar. It is likely to have a significant impact on the state’s social and political landscape and could potentially alter the dynamics of future elections.
