The Bihar Cabinet on Tuesday approved the establishment of a youth commission to address issues such as unemployment, financial incentives for persons with disabilities preparing for civil services exams, and a 35% reservation for domiciled women in government jobs, months before assembly elections are due in October or November. Unemployment has emerged as one of the major issues in the poll-bound Bihar.
The 35% reservation for women seeks to bolster their participation in the
workforce and solidify chief minister Nitish Kumar’s appeal. Women have emerged as a critical voting bloc in Bihar, with higher turnout rates than men.
The reservation policy builds on existing women-centric schemes such as 50% reservation in Panchayati Raj institutions, which cemented Kumar’s popularity.
The new policy is expected to enhance financial independence and job security for women, particularly in sectors such as education and healthcare.