Bihar ups quota for 'deprived'; will K'taka do it?

NT Correspondent

New Delhi: In a decision which could influence the ongoing debate in Karnataka over the findings of the Caste census (socioeconomic survey) conducted a few years ago, the Bihar Assembly on Thursday decided to reserve seventy-five percent of government jobs and education seats in the state for people from marginalised castes and economically weaker sections.

The assembly's latest decision comes a little over a month after the Bihar government released the results of a socio-economic caste survey in the state.

Added to the 65% caste-based reservation, the EWS quota takes the total reservation in the state to 75%. The reservation has been increased from 12% to 15% for other backward classes (OBCs), from 18% to 25% for extremely backward classes (EBCs), from 16% to 20% for Scheduled Castes and from 1% to 2% for Scheduled Tribes (STs).

According to data from the socio-economic survey, OBCs and EBCs make up 27.13% and 36.01% of Bihar’s population, respectively, SCs constitute 19.65% and STs 1.68%. General or ‘upper’ caste groups are only 15.52% of the population.

“I will be glad if the [Union government] too agrees to a caste census and [hikes] reservations across the country,” Kumar added.

The percentage of quotas does exceed the 50% ceiling imposed by the Supreme Court in its 1992 Indra Sawhney judgement. Some states, such as Tamil Nadu in the south and most states in the north-east, have reservations that cross the apex court’s 50% ceiling.

But in other cases, such as Maharashtra, attempts to cross the halfway mark have been struck down by t h e judiciary.

In Karnataka the findings of the caste survey are yet to be released; however there have been reports that they may have an adverse impact on the clout and quotas of the dominant Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities which have already voiced their opposition to the release of the report.

The OBCs and Dalits have been pitching for the release of the findings which they are confident will weigh in their favour as far quotas in education and jobs are concerned.

They have even threatened an agitation if the findings of the caste census conducted by the Kantharaj Commission are not released.