The Bihar Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to increase the quota for SCs, STs, Other Backward Classes, Extremely Backward Classes, and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) to a total of 75% from the current 50%, just hours after the Caste Survey report was introduced in the assembly. According to sources in the cabinet, a bill will be introduced in the assembly during the current session, maybe this week. In this context, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar spoke at the end of the discussion about the Caste Survey report. The announcement from Kumar comes several months before the Lok Sabha elections of 2024.
The plan aims to increase the reservation percentages for SCs and STs from 1% to 2%, OBCs and EBS from 30% to 43% overall, and SCs from 16% to 20%. The current 10% allotment for EWS will not change. According to the report, of the state’s total population of 13.07 crore, OBCs (27.13 per cent) and the extremely backward classes sub-group (36 per cent) account for a whopping 63 per cent, while SCs and STs collectively made up slightly over 21 per cent. Over 94 lakh families reside in the state, according to a report presented to the assembly by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary.
Although comparable data for the current year regarding household incomes in other states was not easily accessible, the Economic Survey 2022–2023’s statistical appendix revealed that Bihar had the lowest per capita income in the nation, at Rs 49,470 annually. At Rs 4.01 lakh, Delhi had the highest per capita income among the states. According to the report, of the state’s total population of 13.07 crore, OBCs (27.13 per cent) and the extremely backward classes sub-group (36 per cent) accounted for a whopping 63 per cent, while SCs and STs collectively made up slightly over 21 per cent.