Cabinet Decides to Form Bihar Youth Commission, Makes Domicile Character Compulsory for Women’s Reservations
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 8: Making a departure from the its existing policy, the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government on Tuesday made domicile of the state a compulsory condition to avail the existing 35 per cent reservation for women in all government jobs and also decided to set up Bihar Youth Commission to advise the government on education and employment for youth in the state.
The significant decisions just ahead of the state Assembly elections expected later this year were taken at a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by the chief minister. The decision assumes significance ahead of the Assembly polls in the state and is ostensibly another attempt by the ruling alliance to try and consolidate its “caste-neutral” women’s vote bank.
The decision marked a departure from the existing policy of not needing domicile for state government jobs. The Cabinet on Tuesday gave the go-ahead for mandatory domicile for the existing 35 per cent quota for women in all government jobs. This would mean that women who are not residents of Bihar would not be eligible for state government jobs. The government has, in the past, faced criticism for not applying the domicile policy during the mass recruitment of teachers.
This is the first instance of the domicile policy being implemented by the Bihar government in the recent past. The Bihar additional chief secretary (cabinet), S Siddharth, told reporters after the cabinet briefing, “A woman who is a resident of Bihar alone would now be able to avail the existing 35 per cent quota in jobs.”
“I am pleased to inform that with the aim of providing more and more employment opportunities to the youth of Bihar, training them, and making them empowered and capable, the state government has decided to form the Bihar Youth Commission, and today the cabinet has also approved the formation of the Bihar Youth Commission,” Kumar said on X.
“The Bihar Youth Commission will consist of one chairperson, two vice-chairpersons, and seven members, with a maximum age limit of 45 years. This commission will monitor that local youth of the state are given priority in private sector employment within the state while also protecting the interests of youth studying and working outside the state.”
The Bihar Youth Commission, which is aimed at providing more employment opportunities to the state’s young population, will play a key role in advising the government on matters related to improving the condition of youth in society, coordinating with government departments to ensure better education and employment for them, and making them self-reliant, skilled, and employment-oriented, said Siddharth.
The commission will prioritise youth employment in the private sector within the state, protect the interests of those studying and working outside Bihar, and prepare programs to prevent social evils such as addiction.
Bihar, which has 243 Assembly seats, is likely to go to the polls in October-November this year. Only last month, Nitish Kumar had announced increase in the pension for the senior citizens from Rs 400 to Rs 1100 under the Social Security Pension Scheme. The beneficiaries will get the increased pension from the month of July and will be subsequently credited into the account on 10th of every month.
“The elderly are a precious part of society and ensuring their dignified living is our top priority. The state government will continue to make efforts in this direction,” the Chief Minister added.
