Bihar Assembly passes bill for 10pc EWS quota

The Bihar Assembly on Monday passed a bill to provide 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the economically weaker sections (EWS) from the general category.

Earlier this month, the state cabinet had approved a draft bill in this regard.

The Centre had last month introduced the quota for EWS from the general category through a constitutional amendment.

Tabling the bill in the assembly on Monday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the state government has decided to implement the 10 per cent quota for EWS on the lines of the central government.

A notification would soon be issued after framing rules on the criteria for consideration of EWS, the CM said.

As per the bill, the 10 per cent quota will be extended to EWS from the unreserved category in addition to the existing 50 per cent reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Other Backward Classes, Kumar said.

Earlier in the day, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) members created a ruckus in the House, demanding the resignation of Kumar over an order passed by a special POCSO court at Muzaffarpur last week, in connection with a shelter home case.

The state assembly on Monday passed a total of seven bills, including one to regulate all kinds of fees fixed by private schools in Bihar.

The Bihar Private School (Fee Regulation) Bill, 2019, tabled by Education Minister Krishnandan Prasad Verma, caps the fees at seven per cent over the last academic session.

The fees include the amount charged for admission, readmission, development, monthly tuition, uniform and transportation, among others.