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9th July 2025 (13 Topics)

Bihar Domicile Quota Reform

Context:

The Bihar Cabinethas approved the application of the domicile rule to the existing 35% reservation for women in all state government jobs, marking a significant policy shift before the upcoming state elections.

Policy Overview

  • In January 2016, Bihar introduced 35% horizontal reservation for women across all state government jobs.
  • Until now, the domicile requirement was not applied to this quota, allowing women from outside Bihar to avail the benefit.
  • As of July 2025, only women who are domiciled residents of Bihar will be eligible under this 35% quota.

Domicile Criteria in Bihar

To qualify as a domicile of Bihar, a person must fulfill at least one of the following:

  • Continuous residence in the state for three years or more.
  • Ownership of property or land in the state.
  • In case of women, marriage to a domiciled resident of Bihar.
  • Voter ID is desirable but not mandatory.

Vertical and Horizontal Reservation:

Vertical Reservation

  •   Provided for socially and educationally backward classes: SCs, STs, and OBCs.
  •   Governed by Article 16(4) of the Indian Constitution.
  •   It is group-specific and applies separately to each reserved category.
  •   Vertical reservation is counted independently and not shared across other vertical groups.

Horizontal Reservation

  •   Refers to cross-cutting reservations for categories like:
    • Women
    • Persons with Disabilities (PwDs)
    • Ex-servicemen
    • Transgender persons
  •   Enshrined under Article 15(3) and supported by judicial interpretation.
  •   Applies within each vertical category (SC, ST, OBC, General).
  •   Ensures fair representation of special groups across all caste-based categories.

Application Mechanism

  •   Horizontal reservation is interlocked with vertical reservation.
  •   For example: If 35% horizontal reservation is given to women:
    • Then 35% of each vertical category’s seats (e.g., SC, ST, OBC, General) must be filled by women candidates of that category.
  •   This avoids double-counting and ensures equitable distribution.

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