Bihar Mandates Domicile for Women’s Job Quota

Bihar Makes Domicile Mandatory for Women’s Job Quota and Launches Youth Commission

Why in the News?

The Nitish Kumar cabinet in Bihar has mandated domicile status for women to avail the 35% reservation in State government jobs and approved a Youth Commission to promote employment, skill development, and social empowerment of youth. This decision comes as a pre-poll announcement from the Mahagathbandhan government, signaling its focus on local employment and youth welfare in the current financial year.

Domicile Requirement for Women’s Reservation:

• The Bihar government, through its General Administration Department, revised the policy making domicile mandatory for women to access the 35% reservation in State government jobs, aligning with recent supreme court rulings on reservation policies.
• Previously, women from other states could avail this quota; now, only Bihar domiciled women are eligible. This change prioritizes permanent resident women of the state for government positions.
• Women without domicile will be considered in the general category, competing alongside other general category candidates.
• This amendment was approved ahead of upcoming elections to prioritize local employment and benefit the state’s permanent residents.

Bihar Youth Commission Formation

• The Nitish Kumar cabinet approved setting up a Youth Commission to boost employment, skills, and social empowerment of youth in Bihar, including initiatives for persons with disabilities.
• The commission will coordinate youth welfare, skill development, and educational initiatives, including the Chatra Yuva Samvad program to engage with young people.
• It will prioritize local youth in private sector employment and advise the government on youth-related policies, aiming to create more opportunities within the state.

Broader Youth Welfare Initiatives

• The commission will also work on preventing substance abuse among youth through de-addiction programmes and awareness campaigns.
• It aims to make youth self-reliant, skilled, and socially responsible through targeted programs and policy support, aligning with the state’s development goals and recommendations from the latest NITI Aayog report on youth empowerment.