Patna High Court Strikes Down Hike in Bihar’s Reservations | Know What Happened in Detail | UPSC

Summary

The Bihar High Court has made a significant decision to strike down the reservation quota for the Economically Backward Classes (EBC) from 65% to 50%, reverting to the previous level. This follows a caste survey conducted by the Bihar government, which revealed that approximately 64% of the population falls under the OBC category. The decision has implications for job and education opportunities, as the court argued that increasing the quota to 65% was discriminatory and violated fundamental rights. The ruling is expected to have a profound impact on the distribution of reservations in Bihar.

Takeaways

• 📜 The Bihar government increased the reservation for OBC, SC, and ST from 50% to 65% in jobs and educational institutions.
• ⚖️ The Patna High Court struck down this decision, reverting the reservation back to 50%.
• 📊 A caste survey conducted by the Bihar government revealed that 64% of the state's population belongs to OBC.
• 📉 The survey also indicated significant poverty, with many families earning less than ₹50,000 annually.
• 📈 Bihar has a high literacy rate of 79%, with women being more literate than men.
• 🌍 Over 50 lakh Biharis live outside the state, with around 2.17 lakh residing abroad.
• 👩‍🎓 The survey found that only 6% of Bihar's population is graduate, and a very small percentage have post-graduate qualifications.
• 👨‍⚖️ Several petitions were filed against the increased reservation, arguing it was discriminatory and violated constitutional rights.
• 🏛️ The Supreme Court's 1990 decision in the Indra Sawhney case set a 50% cap on reservations, which the High Court cited in its ruling.
• 📚 The script promotes a new GS Foundation batch for UPSC preparation, offering courses in multiple languages with discounts available.

Q & A

What significant decision was made by the Patna High Court regarding reservation in Bihar?

The Patna High Court struck down the reservation increase from 50% to 65% for OBCs (Other Backward Classes), SC (Scheduled Castes), and ST (Scheduled Tribes) in jobs and educational institutions, reverting it back to the previous 50% reservation.

Why did the Bihar government initially increase the reservation percentage from 50% to 65%?

The Bihar government increased the reservation percentage based on the findings of a caste survey conducted by the state, which revealed that the OBC population in Bihar was around 64%, prompting the need for increased reservation.

What was the purpose of the caste survey conducted by the Bihar government?

The caste survey aimed to determine the population distribution of various castes, the extent of poverty, and other socio-economic conditions within Bihar to inform policies, including reservation policies.

What were the main findings of the caste survey in Bihar?

The caste survey found that approximately 64% of Bihar's population belongs to the OBC category, with Scheduled Castes making up about 20%, Scheduled Tribes about 1.7%, and the unreserved category around 15%.

How did the Bihar government justify the increase in reservation for OBCs based on the caste survey results?

The Bihar government argued that since the OBC population was around 64%, it was necessary to increase their reservation to at least 43% to reflect their proportion in the state's population.

What was the initial reservation percentage for different categories before the increase to 65%?

Before the increase, the reservation was 30% for OBCs, 16% for Scheduled Castes, 1% for Scheduled Tribes, and an additional 3% for OBC women.

What arguments did the Patna High Court use to strike down the 65% reservation?

The Patna High Court argued that the increase to 65% reservation was discriminatory and violated fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 15, and 16 of the Constitution, and also crossed the Supreme Court's 50% ceiling set in the Indira Sahani case.

How did the Bihar government's decision to conduct its own caste survey differ from the central government's stance at the time?

While the central government, led by the BJP, opposed the caste survey, the Bihar government, then led by RJD in coalition with other parties, decided to conduct the survey independently to gather data for policy-making.

What are the implications of the Patna High Court's decision for UPSC aspirants preparing for the exam?

The decision means that UPSC aspirants should be aware of the current reservation status, which is back to 50%, and prepare accordingly, as reservation policies can influence the availability of seats in educational institutions and government jobs.

What is the constitutional provision that addresses the special provisions made for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Anglo-Indians, and Other Backward Classes?

The constitutional provisions for special provisions made for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Anglo-Indians, and Other Backward Classes are found in Part XVI of the Constitution, which deals with special provisions relating to certain classes.