Patna (Bihar): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar welcomed the new law for 10 per cent quota for the economically weaker sections in the general category and also advocated enhanced quota for the Other Backward Classes.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Patna at 1, Ane Marg, after his Jan Samwad, Kumar said he doesn’t “find anything wrong in such demand”. He, however, added that for now, “We are bound by the Supreme Court cap of 50 per cent on quota for OBC and SC/STs”.
CM Kumar today asked that the Centre government should hold next census based on caste. Previous caste based census was done in 1931 in the country.
“In my view, the population of social segments such as SCs, STs and OBCs should be taken into account in the next census. Based on its report, the nation can move towards ensuring proportional representation for various castes,” he added.
Besides Kumar, other BJP allies like Apna Dal have sought more benefits for the Other Backward Castes. Although the government had toyed with such an idea earlier, it was eventually dropped for fear of a possible backlash.
