Bihar Cabinet Approves Proposal to Increase Reservation for SCs, STs, OBCs, EBCs, and EWS to 75%

The Bihar Cabinet has approved a proposal to increase the reservation for SCs, STs, OBCs, EBCs, and EWS to 75% from the existing 50%. The decision was announced by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during the ongoing winter session of the assembly. The move comes ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In a significant move, the Bihar Cabinet on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, approved 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%. This decision was taken during the ongoing winter session of the assembly and a bill to this effect will be introduced soon.

Key Highlights of the Proposal

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.

Caste Survey Report

The proposal to increase the reservation quota is based on the findings of the Caste Survey report, which was tabled in the assembly on Tuesday. The report revealed that OBCs and EBCs together account for a substantial 63% of the state's total population of 13.07 crore, while SCs and STs together constitute slightly over 21%.

According to the report, which was presented by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, the state is home to approximately 2.97 crore families, out of which more than 94 lakh (34.13%) live on a monthly income of Rs 6,000 or less.

Significance of the Move

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.

The Bihar Cabinet's approval of the proposal to increase the reservation quota to 75% is a major development that has the potential to reshape the state's social and political landscape. The move is likely to have far-reaching implications and will be closely watched by other states as well. As the bill is debated and discussed in the assembly, it will be important to ensure that the interests of all communities are taken into account and that the ultimate goal of achieving greater social justice and equality is upheld.