Bihar Assembly Elections 2025: In a major announcement ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government on July 8 approved a decision to restrict the 35% reservation for women in government jobs exclusively to those who are permanent residents of Bihar. The change comes as part of a wider Cabinet meeting that cleared 43 proposals, with significant focus on youth empowerment and employment.

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What do we know about the new policy?

The new policy marks a significant amendment to the 2016 Cabinet decision, which had originally provided 35% horizontal reservation for women in all state government services, irrespective of their state of origin. Under the revised rules, only women who are “original residents” of Bihar will now be eligible for this quota in direct recruitment to government posts.

Officials said this change is aimed at ensuring local women benefit more directly from state-run employment opportunities. Political analysts view the move as a strategic pitch to consolidate Nitish Kumar’s voter base among women, who have traditionally supported his governance model, especially in rural Bihar.

Bihar government’s pre-poll calculations

The decision is seen as electorally significant. A recent pre-poll survey conducted by InkInsight suggested that women in Bihar are more likely to support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), whereas male voters are leaning towards the opposition Mahagathbandhan. The same survey identified Nitish Kumar as the top choice for Chief Minister among women voters, reinforcing the potential political payoff of the new reservation tweak.

Bihar Youth Commission gets Cabinet nod

Another major announcement was the formation of the Bihar Youth Commission, intended to address employment and education issues facing young people. The body will consist of a chairperson, two vice-chairpersons, and seven members, all under the age of 45. It will advise the government on skill development, job creation, and tackling issues like substance abuse.

“The state government has decided to form the Bihar Youth Commission to provide more and more employment opportunities to the youth, train them, and make them empowered and capable,” Kumar posted on X.

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Other key decisions

The Bihar Cabinet also approved a Rs 100 diesel subsidy for farmers, aimed at supporting agricultural productivity amid rising fuel costs. Chief Secretary S Siddharth confirmed that the Cabinet had cleared 43 agenda items, with a focus on social welfare, youth engagement, and employment generation.