According to an official, the Jharkhand government approved a proposal on 14 September, to grant 77% reservation in state government jobs to members of the SC, ST, backward classes, OBC, and economically weaker sections.
At a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the state cabinet increased the OBC reservation from 14% to 27%.
The Hemant Soren-led UPA government also approved a proposal to use 1932 land records to determine who is a local resident.
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.
Division of proposed reservation
The meeting decided that the state government would ask the Centre to include the bill in the Constitution’s Ninth Schedule. In the proposed job reservation policy, the SC community will have a quota of 12%, the ST community will have a quota of 28%, the Extremely Backward Class will have a quota of 15%, the OBC will have a quota of 12%, and the economically weaker section, excluding those from other reserved categories, will have a quota of 10%.
The Jharkhand Congress, which has been pushing for a 27% reservation of government jobs for OBCs, hailed the decision as a historic step that will prevent people from migrating to other states for work. Soren approved the formation of a panel last month to suggest issues regarding reservations for SC, ST, and other backward classes.
Raising the reservation limit, particularly for the state’s other backward classes (OBCs), has long been a demand of all major political parties.