Bihar Governor approves Bill raising reservation quota from 50% to 65%

Governor Arlekar approves Bihar Reservation Amendment Bill, raising quota for backward, extremely backward classes, SCs & STs from 50% to 65%, with 10% for EWS, pushing total to 75%. Bill passed unanimously in state assembly, CM Kumar assures implementation "as soon as possible". EBC quota raised from 18% to 25%, BC from 12% to 18%, SC from 16% to 20%, ST from 1% to 2%. 3% BC women reservation scrapped.

Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on November 17 approved the State Government’s ‘Bihar Reservation Amendment Bill’ which was passed unanimously by the state legislature during the recently concluded winter session and later, approved by the State cabinet on November 7 to raise the reservation quote for backward, extremely backward classes, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes from 50% to 65%. The general administration department, is likely to publish a gazette soon.

On November 16, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while addressing a function, had said that as soon as the Governor returns to Patna, the cate reservation bill will be approved. The Governor returned to Patna on November 17 and approved the bill for raising reservation quota to backward, extremely backward classes, scheduled caste and scheduled tribes from 50% to 65%. With 10% reserved for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) the quota limit in Bihar has now been pushed to 75%., well past the 50% ceiling set by the Supreme Court.

Earlier in the Assembly after the bill was passed unanimously, Mr. Kumar had assured the House members that his government would implement the provisions of the Bill “as soon as possible”.

According to the bill quota for Extremely Backward Class (EBC) will be raised from the existing 18% to 25%; for Backward Class (BC) from 12% to 18%; for Scheduled Caste (SC) from 16% to 20%; and for Scheduled Tribe (ST), the quota will be doubled, from 1% to 2%. The existing 3% reservation for BC women has been scrapped.

Bills providing for the same increase in reservation in educational institutions and government jobs, which were drafted based on the caste survey conducted by the state government too was passed unanimously through voice vote in the state assembly.

Mr. Kumar had proposed the amendment to raise reservations in state assembly on November 7, hours after it was tabled in the State Assembly and on the same day it was approved by the State Cabinet. The caste survey report released on October 2 said EBCs comprise 36% and BCs 27.1% of the State’s 13.1 crore population. Together the two caste groups account for nearly 63% of the population.

“If need be, there could be a raise in this reservation quota as well and I’ll be happy for this,” said Mr. Kumar while adding, “My government will implement the raise in quota as soon as possible”.