Caste survey results: Nitish moots hike in SC, ST, OBC quotas
Statement comes following the tabling of a detailed report on the caste survey commissioned by his government
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday told the state assembly that he is in favour of raising the quotas for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes in the state.
He made a statement to this effect while taking part in a debate that followed the tabling of a detailed report on the caste survey commissioned by his government. He was of the view that reservations for the OBCs needed to be raised from 50 to 65 per cent while for the SCs and STs, which together account for a 17 per cent quota, the limit should be raised to 22 per cent. At present, there is 18 per cent reservation for EBCs (extremely backward classes), 12 per cent for OBCs, 16 per cent for SCs, 1 per cent for STs and 3 per cent for women from backward classes in Bihar in state jobs and educational institutions.
The proposed quota will be well above the 50 per cent ceiling set by the Supreme Court. “We will do the needful after due consultations. It is our intent to effect these changes in the current session,” he said.
Combined with the Centre's 10 per cent quota for the Economically Weaker Sections quota (EWS), the reservation proposed in Bihar will go up to 75 per cent.