The Bihar Assembly on Thursday cleared a Bill proposing to hike quotas from the existing proportion of 60% to 75% in education and employment. There is a misconception that the quota limit is 65%. It is not. If the 10% given to Economically Weaker Sections is taken into consideration, the new upper ceiling in Bihar is 75%.
Here is the breakup:
1. 25% for Most Backward Classes.
2. 18 % for Backward Classes.
3. 20 % for SCs.
4. 2% for STs.
The Bill has found support from the Opposition as well. Since it is election time, no party wants to antagonize any community. The move has mainly been done to woo the votes of OBCs and EBCs.
Bihar is a backward state with 34% of the population considered poor. Anti-reservationists feel that quotas are not a solution. Reservations uplift a small segment of the socially backward population, leaving the rest to seek jobs and livelihood opportunities in the private sector. Bihar's notoriously underdeveloped private sector has made it impossible for the state to catch up with southern and western Indian states. Even Uttar Pradesh started to march ahead in the new millennium.
