Tejashwi Yadav to Lead Protest in Bihar for Caste Survey Inclusion in Constitution
Tejashwi Yadav, leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, has announced that his party will hold a protest on September 1. The protest aims to demand the inclusion of the findings from the 2023 caste survey in Schedule 9 of the Indian Constitution.
Tejashwi Yadav stated, “We had mentioned this earlier too. Our Government had provided 65 per cent reservation for OBC, SC and ST, we had mentioned including it under Schedule 9. The matter is sub-judice. We knew that the BJP didn’t want it. It wanted to end the reservation, so it didn’t include it in Schedule 9. We had said that if they (the State Government) didn’t present it well in Court, RJD would approach the Supreme Court and present its position. We are before the Court and RJD will present its part well. So, we have announced an agitation on 1st September overall in Bihar. I too will be a part of it.”
In June, the Patna High Court set aside the Bihar Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services (Amendment) Act, 2023, and The Bihar (In admission in Educational Institutions) Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2023, calling them ultra vires and violative of equality clauses under Articles 14, 15, and 16. The Bihar legislature had amended both Acts in 2023, increasing the reservation from 50 per cent to 65 per cent in jobs and higher educational institutions.
Based on the caste survey findings, the state government increased the quota for Scheduled Castes (SC) to 20 per cent, Scheduled Tribes (ST) to two per cent, Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) to 25 per cent, and Backward Class (BC) to 18 per cent.
Union Minister Chirag Paswan has also expressed his support for the caste census, stating that it is essential as many government schemes are framed with caste considerations in mind.
Schedule 9 of the Indian Constitution contains a list of central and state laws that cannot be challenged in courts.
Doubts Revealed
Tejashwi Yadav -: Tejashwi Yadav is a politician from Bihar, a state in India. He is the leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party and was once the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar.
Rashtriya Janata Dal -: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is a political party in India, mainly active in the state of Bihar. It was founded by Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Deputy Chief Minister -: The Deputy Chief Minister is the second-highest-ranking official in a state government in India, just below the Chief Minister.
Caste Survey -: A caste survey is a study that collects information about the different castes in a region. Castes are social groups in India that people are born into.
Schedule 9 of the Constitution -: Schedule 9 is a part of the Indian Constitution that protects certain laws from being challenged in court. Tejashwi Yadav wants the caste survey findings to be included here.
Bihar legislature -: The Bihar legislature is the law-making body of the state of Bihar. It makes and changes laws for the state.
Reservations -: Reservations in India are a system where a certain percentage of government jobs and educational seats are set aside for people from certain castes and communities.
Patna High Court -: The Patna High Court is the highest court in the state of Bihar. It can make decisions on whether state laws are valid or not.
Union Minister -: A Union Minister is a member of the central government of India, responsible for a specific department or ministry.
Chirag Paswan -: Chirag Paswan is an Indian politician and a Union Minister. He supports the idea of a caste census to help with government planning.
