Bihar Assembly passes bill to increase caste quota to 65 percent

On Thursday, the Bihar assembly endorsed an increase in reservation quotas for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Extremely Backward Classes, and Other Backward Classes, elevating the percentage from the current 50 percent to 65 percent.

Bills providing for the same in educational institutions and government jobs, drafted in the backdrop of a comprehensive caste survey conducted by the Nitish Kumar government, were passed unanimously through voice vote.

As per the bills, the allocation for Scheduled Tribes (STs) will be increased from one to two percent, whereas for Scheduled Castes (SCs), it will be elevated from 16 percent to 20 percent. For the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), the reservation will be set at 25 percent, an increase from the previous 18 percent, and for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), it will be raised from 12 percent to 15 percent.