In a major step towards making the youth self-reliant, skilled and encourage employment, the Bihar government on Tuesday approved the formation of ‘Bihar Youth Commission’ and 35 percent reservation in all state government jobs for women who are permanent residents of Bihar.

This decision was taken in the cabinet meeting held on Tuesday under led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The move comes ahead of the Bihar Assmebly Elections which is expected to take place in October-November this year.

The Bihar Youth commission will advise the state government on issues related to youth welfare, education, employment and their all-round development. The commission will coordinate with various government departments so that the youth can get better education and employment opportunities.

The commission will have a chairman, two vice-chairmen and seven members, whose maximum age limit has been fixed at 45 years. This commission will also monitor the implementation of policies that give priority to local youth in private and public sector jobs in the state. It will also ensure the protection of the interests of students and youth working outside the state.

Commission to offer suggestions to prevent alcohol/drug addiction

Another important function of the commission will be to give suggestions to the government to stop the increasing trend of alcohol and drug addiction among the youth. The Chief Minister said that the aim of this visionary initiative is to make the youth of Bihar skilled, employable and self-reliant so that their future is bright and secure.

Taking to social media platform ‘X’, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that this commission is being formed with the aim of providing maximum employment to the youth of Bihar, training them and empowering them, which has got the approval of the Cabinet today.

The CM wrote in Hindi in an X post, “I am pleased to inform that with the aim of providing more employment opportunities to the youth of Bihar, training them, and making them empowered and capable, the state government has decided to form the Bihar Youth Commission, and today the cabinet has also approved the formation of the Bihar Youth Commission. This commission will play a significant role in advising the government on all matters related to improving and uplifting the condition of youth in society. The commission will also coordinate with government departments to ensure better education and employment for the youth.”

He further informed, “The Bihar Youth Commission will consist of one chairperson, two vice-chairpersons, and seven members, with a maximum age limit of 45 years. This commission will monitor that local youth of the state are given priority in private sector employment within the state, while also protecting the interests of youth studying and working outside the state. Preparing programs to prevent social evils such as alcohol and other intoxicants and making recommendations to the government in such matters will also be its important task. The objective of this visionary initiative of the state government is to make the youth self-reliant, skilled, and employment-oriented through this commission so that their future is secure.”

35 percent reservation for women in government jobs

In the meeting, 43 proposals were approved including development plans, appointment process and economic proposals. Along with this, the Nitish cabinet also approved 35 percent reservation for women in government jobs across every category and level, exclusively for those who are permanent residents of Bihar.

“Only women native to the state will be eligible for 35 percent horizontal reservation in direct recruitment across all government service cadres in Bihar,” said Chief Secretary S. Siddharth at a press briefing following the meeting.

Detailed information about the 43 agendas taken in the cabinet was shared by Dr. S Siddharth, Additional Chief Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat Department, in a press conference held in the auditorium of Information Bhawan on Tuesday.

He said that the work of this commission will also be to protect the interests of the youth who go to work outside the state. After getting the approval of the cabinet, the proper process of its formation will start soon.