The Patna High Court has revoked the Bihar Reservation Law, which had increased the reservation quota to 65% for Economically Backward Classes (EBC), Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Scheduled Tribes (ST). This decision was taken by the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar, which had increased the reservation quota from 50% to 65% for these categories.
Background
The Bihar government had passed a law in 2023 to increase the reservation quota for EBC, OBC, SC, and ST in government jobs and educational institutions. The law aimed to provide more opportunities for these communities to access education and employment.
Patna High Court’s Decision
However, the Patna High Court has now revoked this law, citing that the reservation quota of 65% exceeds the constitutional limit of 50%. The court has directed the state government to reduce the reservation quota to 50% for these categories.
Impact
The revocation of the law is likely to have a significant impact on the lives of many individuals from EBC, OBC, SC, and ST communities in Bihar. The increased reservation quota had provided them with more opportunities to access education and employment, which could have helped to reduce social and economic inequalities.