Patna High Court Strikes Down Bihar's Reservation Increase

Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation's Dipankar Bhattacharya criticized the Patna High Court's decision to strike down the Bihar government's increase in reservation quotas. He called it a regressive judgment and urged Parliament to introduce legislation. The quotas had been increased following a caste survey to better represent Dalits, backward classes, and tribal communities.

In a controversial move, the Patna High Court on Thursday nullified the Bihar government's decision to raise reservation quotas for Dalits, backward classes, and tribal communities from 50 to 65 per cent. The decision met with sharp criticism from Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, who deemed it a 'regressive judgment.' He urged Parliament to introduce new legislation to address the issue.

The quotas were initially increased following a comprehensive caste survey that revealed the substantial presence of these communities in the state. However, the High Court ruled that increasing reservations violated the right to equality, a stance Bhattacharya vehemently opposed.

Bhattacharya argued that the introduction of 10 per cent reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) by the central government already breached the 50 per cent limit, paving the way for states to create their own reservation policies. He emphasized that the Supreme Court had already upheld the EWS reservation, questioning why the states should then be limited by the 50 per cent cap.