In a substantial policy change designed to accentuate women, the Bihar government headed by Nitish Kumar, has approved a proposal that grants 35% reservation in government jobs, only for women that are domicile Rajasthan. The decision was taken on 8th July 2025, at a meeting of the State Cabinet chaired by the Chief Minister.
Domicile Policy in Women’s Reservation Is Approved
While before, 35% horizontal reservation was available to all female candidates irrespective of their state of domicile, now women domicile includes only women articulation in the state of Bihar in the direct recruitment in all cadres of state government jobs.
The decision was finalized through a proposal from the General Administrative Department (GAD) and is a historic decision as it is the first decision consistently domicile based policy in women’s reservation by the state of the last few years.
Women from Other States Will Now Be Categorized in General Category
S Siddharth as Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat Department said, “now, women domicile in other states will be treated as general category women candidates and would not be able to benefit from the 35% women reservation.”
The expectation is that this decision will give priority to women domicile in the state of Bihar for state government employment, and encourage and enable women in Bihar to increase their involvement in governance and administration.
Political and Social Outcomes Prior to Assembly Polls
The timing of the announcement is significant, as Bihar is in the midst of the state assembly elections. Many political analysts see this as a tactic for ruling party to woo woman voters, an influential demographic in prior elections.
Nitish Kumar’s government has a long history of developing women-centric policies, and this gesture further solidifies the state’s direction towards gender-inclusive governance in the future.
Cabinet also approved Bihar Youth Commission
Focus on Skill Development and Employment for Youths
In another significant matter arising from the cabinet meeting, Bihar Government recently announced the establishment of Bihar Youth Commission, a platform to guide, empower, and uplift the youth of Bihar.
The Commission will have the responsibility for the outcomes of
• Advice the government on youth development policy
• Create and offer education and employment opportunities to local youth
• Monitor private sector employees to prioritize Youth Bihari
• Protect the interests of Students and working professionals from Bihar living outside the State of Bihar.
Structure and Purpose of Youth Commission
The Commission will have a Chair, two Vice Chairs, and provide for a further seven members aged less than 45 years or as specified by the Government. This structural format reflects the Governments intention to ensure a youth perspective in developing policy.
The Commission will be responsible for the assessment of economically disadvantaged youth, unemployed youth and meritorious students and recommend methods for improving their standards of living.
