Supreme Court Seeks Bihar Government’s Response On 65% Reservation Quota Hike

The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Bihar government, seeking a response to the RJD’s petition regarding the increase in the reservation quota for backward classes to 65 percent. The court, however, refused to stay the Patna High Court’s decision, which had canceled the law to increase reservations from 50 percent to 65 percent.

Court Rejects Stay on High Court Ruling

A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra, is hearing the case. The Bihar government had filed a special leave petition requesting a stay on the High Court’s decision, but the Supreme Court declined to stay it at this stage. The government argued that interviews under the new law were already underway and cited a similar case in Chhattisgarh where the apex court had granted a stay. The Supreme Court rejected these arguments.

RJD Seeks Tamil Nadu-like System

The RJD has argued that Bihar should implement a reservation system similar to Tamil Nadu’s and include it in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to prevent judicial challenges. The Patna High Court had earlier struck down the Bihar Assembly’s 2023 Reservation Amendment Bill, citing it as unconstitutional and a violation of equality under Articles 14, 15, and 16. The Bihar government passed the bill following a caste-based survey, aiming to increase quotas for deprived sections in jobs and education.

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