Jharkhand Raises OBC Reservations in State Government Jobs to 27%

The state cabinet hiked the OBC reservation to 27 per cent from the present 14 per cent.

The Jharkhand government on Wednesday, 14 September, gave its nod to a proposal for granting 77 per cent reservation in state government jobs for the members of the SC, ST, backward classes, OBC and economically weaker sections, an official said.

The state cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, hiked the OBC reservation to 27 per cent from the present 14 per cent.The Hemant Soren-led UPA government also gave its nod to a proposal to use the 1932 land records to determine those who are local inhabitants.

The decision was taken in the backdrop of tribals' demand that the last land survey conducted by the British government in 1932 be used as the basis for defining locals.

The developments come amid a political crisis in Jharkhand over the threat to Chief Minister Hemant Soren of his disqualification as an MLA in an office-of-profit case.

"The Cabinet has given nod to a reservation bill for amendment in Jharkhand Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services Act, 2001 for 77 per cent reservation to SC, ST, backward classes, other backward classes and economically weaker sections," Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel told reporters after the meeting.

Breakup of Proposed Reservation

It was decided in the meeting that the state government will request the Centre for inclusion of the bill in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. In the proposed job reservation policy, local people of the SC community will have a quota of 12 per cent, ST 28 per cent, extremely Backward Class 15 per cent, OBC 12 per cent, and economically weaker section barring those from other reserved categories 10 per cent.

At present, the STs get a 26 per cent reservation in Jharkhand, while SCs have 10 per cent. The OBCs currently get a 14 per cent quota in the state and increasing it was an electoral promise of all mainstream parties in 2019, including the ruling alliance--JMM-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)---in the current dispensation.

Jharkhand Congress which has been pressing for 27 per cent reservation of government jobs for OBCs, termed it a historic move and said it will arrest the migration of people to other states for jobs. Last month, Soren had approved the formation of a panel to suggest issues related to reservations for SC, ST and other backward classes.

Raising the reservation limit, especially for the other backward classes (OBCs) in the state, has been a long-standing demand by all major parties.