Ati Pichhda Nyay Sankalp: INDIA Bloc reaches out to extremely backward classes ahead of Bihar polls

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi reached out to the extremely backward classes (EBCs) of Bihar, promising, among other things, a law for protection against atrocities, on the lines of the SC/ST Act, if the INDIA Bloc came to power in the state.

Gandhi’s aggressive EBC outreach, days ahead of the announcement of assembly polls, came at an event titled ‘Ati Pichhda Nyay Sankalp’.

The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, who was in Patna to attend the Congress Working Committee meeting, came to the event along with the party’s national president, Mallikarjun Kharge.

Gandhi read out the 10 resolves that promised the welfare of EBCs in particular, and deprived castes, including SCs, STs, and OBCs in general.

The EBCs, according to the caste survey conducted by the Nitish Kumar government a few years ago, comprise 36% of the state’s total population.

The 10 resolves are:

1. A law for protection against atrocities, on the lines of the SC/ST Act.
2. A rise in quotas for the EBCs in local bodies and panchayats, from the existing 20% to 30%.
3. To increase the 50% reservation cap based on population proportion, the law passed by the legislative assembly will be sent to the Centre for inclusion in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
4. For government contracts/supply work up to ₹25 crore, 50% reservation will be provided for ati pichra, SCs, STs, and backward classes.
5. Reservation in admissions to all private educational institutions of the state will be implemented under Article 15(5) of the Constitution.
6. Land allotments: 3 decimals in urban areas and 5 decimals in rural regions for landless families from deprived castes.
7. The concept of “not found suitable” (NFS) in the selection process for appointments will be declared illegal.
8. All matters related to under-inclusion or over-inclusion in the list of the ati pichra category will be resolved by forming a dedicated committee.
9. Under the Right to Education Act, 2010, passed by the UPA government, half of the reserved seats in private schools will be allocated to children from ati pichra, backward classes, SCs, and STs.
10. A high-authority regulatory body will be formed to oversee reservation, and any changes to caste reservation lists will only be possible with the permission of the legislative assembly.