Bihar caste survey: CM Nitish Kumar says will raise reservation for OBCs from 50% to 65%

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday proposed to increase the quotas for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs in the state. The announcement comes hours after a detailed report of the caste survey tabled in the state assembly.

CM Kumar said, “The quota for SCs and STs together stands at 17%. It should be raised to 22%. Likewise, the reservation for OBCs should also be hiked from the current 50% to 65%.”

“We will do the needful after due consultations. It is our intent to effect these changes in the current session,” he said.

Caste survey report released today

The caste survey report, which was released on Tuesday, cited that more than a third of families inhabiting Bihar were living in poverty, making do with a monthly income of ₹6,000 or less

It further acknowledged considerable poverty among the upper castes, though the percentage was, predictably, much higher among backward classes, Dalits and tribals.

“The state was home to about 2.97 crore families, out of which more than 94 lakhs (34.13%) were poor.”

Another important finding was that more than 50 lakh Biharis were living outside the state in search of livelihood or better education opportunities.

Those earning a living in other states numbered around 46 lakhs while another 2.17 lakhs have found greener pastures abroad.

Those pursuing studies in other states numbered about 5.52 lakhs while about 27,000 were doing the same abroad.

The Nitish Kumar government ordered the exercise following the Centre's reluctance to hold a caste census. The preliminary findings had established that OBCs and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) constituted more than 60 per cent of the state’s total population, while the upper castes accounted for about 10 per cent.

(With agency inputs)