Domicile quota demand rises in poll-bound Bihar, tough to ignore

As Bihar heads toward elections, the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government faces growing pressure over the demand for domicile-based reservation in government jobs. On June 5, the Bihar Student Union led a protest in Patna calling for a policy that prioritizes locals in state recruitment.

Why the Demand Matters

With an unemployment rate of 3.9%, higher than the national average, and a lack of private-sector jobs, government employment is highly sought after in Bihar. The demand for a domicile quota — reserving jobs for long-term state residents — has gained traction under the slogan:

“Vote de Bihari, naukari le bahri” (Biharis vote, outsiders take jobs).

Bihar’s Current Policy

Currently, Bihar does not offer a general domicile reservation. While the government claims most new hires are locals, the only explicit domicile-based reservation is a 4% quota for persons with disabilities from the state. A brief policy requiring domicile for teacher recruitment was introduced in 2020 but scrapped in 2023.

Economic Drivers

According to a March 2025 NITI Aayog report, 49.6% of Bihar’s workforce is in agriculture, with just 5.7% in manufacturing, one of the lowest rates in the country. The scarcity of private jobs makes public sector employment a critical issue — and fuels the demand for local preference in hiring.

Youth Demands

Protesters are pushing for:

100% reservation for locals in primary teaching roles

At least 90% quota in other state government jobs

They argue that other states protect their locals and that Bihar’s youth face unfair competition from outsiders, leading to unemployment and migration.

Other States’ Examples

Several Indian states have domicile-based quotas:

Uttarakhand: Class III & IV jobs reserved for 15-year residents

Maharashtra: Language and domicile preferences in hiring

North-Eastern states: Constitutional provisions for local tribes

Ladakh: 85% reservation for local residents (announced in June 2025)

Jharkhand also passed a law reserving lower-level jobs for locals based on 1932 land records, though it hasn’t been implemented.

Legal Hurdles

The Constitution (Article 16) prohibits job discrimination based on birthplace, although Parliament can allow exceptions under Article 16(3). The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled against "sons-of-the-soil" policies, citing the need for national unity — except in states with special provisions like Nagaland under Article 371.

Where Political Parties Stand

JD(U) and the NDA have rejected domicile quotas in the past, citing constitutional limits and the risk of retaliatory policies from other states that could hurt Bihari migrants.

RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and Jan Suraaj’s Prashant Kishor support the demand, with RJD promising 100% job reservation for locals if elected.