In a significant judicial ruling, the Patna High Court has invalidated Bihar’s legislative amendments aimed at boosting reservation quotas for SC, ST, and OBC communities in government jobs and educational institutions to 65%. The court’s decision follows a Public Interest Litigation challenging the Bihar Reservation (for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Back Classes) (Amendment) Act, 2023, and the Bihar (in admission in educational institutions) Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2023.
The amendments, enacted by the Bihar Legislature in 2023, sought to increase quotas beyond the established 50% limit, with allocations set at 20% for Scheduled Castes, 2% for Scheduled Tribes, 25% for Extremely Backward Classes, and 18% for Other Backward Classes, totaling 65%. This move was met with legal opposition on grounds of breaching the constitutional threshold for reservation percentages.
Chief Justice K. Vinod Chandran and Justice Harish Kumar, presiding over the Division Bench, ruled in favor of setting aside these amendments, emphasizing the adherence to the 50% reservation cap as mandated by earlier judicial precedents. The decision underscores the judiciary’s role in upholding constitutional principles while balancing social equity concerns.
This verdict is expected to influence reservation policies across the country, setting a precedent for the permissible limits of quotas in public employment and educational admissions, crucial to ensuring fairness and constitutional compliance in governance.
