Patna, 20-06-2024 : The Patna High Court dealt a significant blow to the Nitish Kumar administration on Thursday by overturning its decision to raise the reservation quota from 50 percent to 65 percent for SCs, STs, OBCs, and EBCs in Bihar’s government jobs and educational institutions. Describing the quota hike as “unconstitutional,” a division bench led by Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice Harish Kumar declared that surpassing the 50 percent reservation limit violated the principles of equality enshrined in Articles 14, 15, and 16 of the Constitution. The court specifically nullified two notifications issued by the Bihar government in November last year, highlighting that the state failed to justify the need for exceeding the mandated quota.
It emphasized that the decision lacked a thorough analysis and went against the core constitutional provisions aimed at ensuring equal opportunities and representation. The ruling follows extensive hearings on a petition challenging the quota increase, underscoring the judicial scrutiny over reservation policies in the state.