Nitish Kumar’s Reservation Gamble Backfires in Bihar! High Court Scraps 65% Quota

The Patna High Court invalidated Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government’s increase of reservation from 50% to 65% in government jobs and education, citing it exceeded the Supreme Court’s 50% cap. RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha criticized the ruling, calling it unfortunate and hindering social justice, urging Nitish Kumar to appeal to a higher court to protect reservation rights.

CONTENTS: Nitish Kumar’s Reservation Gamble Backfires in Bihar

• Nitish Kumar faces legal setback
• Court invalidates Bihar’s 65% quota
• RJD criticizes court’s reservation ruling

Nitish Kumar faces legal setback

Nitish Kumar’s Reservation Gamble Backfires in Bihar

The Patna High Court dealt a significant blow to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by invalidating the 65% reservation in government jobs and education introduced last year following a statewide caste survey.

This move by the state government exceeded the 50% cap on reservations mandated by the Supreme Court. The court’s decision came in response to petitions challenging the legislation passed by Nitish Kumar’s government in November 2023. Notably, Kumar’s political affiliations shifted from the JDU alliance with RJD and Congress to joining BJP and reassuming the Chief Minister’s office a month later.

 

Court invalidates Bihar’s 65% quota

Ritika Rani, representing the petitioners, informed PTI that they had argued that the amendments to the reservation laws were unconstitutional. The court had reserved its judgment in March after hearing arguments from both sides.

Today, the court issued its final order. In November of the previous year, shortly after the Bihar Assembly unanimously approved the reservation Bill, the Nitish Kumar government had issued gazette notifications to increase the reservation quota for deprived castes in state government jobs and educational institutions from 50% to 65%.

 

RJD criticizes court’s reservation ruling

RJD’s Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha expressed disappointment over the high court’s decision, calling it unfortunate and stating that such rulings hinder the path towards achieving social justice. He drew a parallel with Tamil Nadu’s historical struggle for reservations and indicated a determination to similarly persist.

Jha questioned the background and motivations of the petitioners, suggesting external influences, as seen previously during the caste survey. Emphasizing the RJD’s stance, he reiterated the party’s demand to place reservations under the ninth schedule of the Constitution to protect them from judicial challenges.

Regarding the current NDA government, Jha pointed out Nitish Kumar‘s role and urged him to appeal to a higher court to safeguard the rights of a significant population.