Big blow to CM Nitish Kumar as Patna HC overturns Bihar's 65% quota increase for Dalits, Backward Classes, Tribals

In a significant judicial intervention, the Patna High Court on Thursday struck down the Bihar government's last year's decision to raise quotas for Dalits, backward classes, and tribals from 50% to 65%.

The ruling from a Division Bench led by Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran came in response to multiple petitions challenging the legislation passed in November 2023.

The state government's decision followed a comprehensive caste survey that updated population estimates for SCs, STs, OBCs, and EBCs. However, the court found the move in violation of Articles 14, 16, and 20 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law, equal employment opportunities, and certain rights in criminal proceedings.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)