Bihar seeks addition of laws in ninth schedule

CASTE-BASED QUOTA - REITERATES DEMAND FOR SPECIAL STATUS

- Subhash Pathak

The Nitish Kumar government on Wednesday asked the Centre to include two recently amended laws, which increase the caste-based quota in Bihar from 50% to 65%, in the ninth schedule of the Constitution for providing them immunity from judicial review, and reiterated the demand for special status to the state.

Proposals to put forth these two demands were discussed and approved during the state cabinet meeting chaired by Kumar, said additional chief secretary of Bihar cabinet, S Siddharth. "A total of 40 agenda points, including two impromptu proposals, were discussed and given assent to by the cabinet," Siddharth said.

Soon after, the state government sent a letter to the Centre, urging it to begin the formalities to include the two laws in the ninth schedule, people aware of the developments said. "We will wait and watch for the Centre's reaction to our proposal. This requires a constitutional amendment by Parliament. We may seek an appointment with the Prime Minister and hand over a formal proposal to him," said state parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary.