Special Category Status To Bihar:
The Bihar Cabinet has passed a resolution seeking the grant of Special Category Status (SCS) to Bihar.
- The demand comes in the backdrop of the findings from the “Bihar Caste-based Survey, 2022”, which revealed that nearly one-third of Bihar’s population continues to live in poverty.
- Special Category Status is a classification given by the Centre to assist development of states that face geographical and socio-economic disadvantages.
- The Constitution does not make a provision for SCS and this classification was later done on the recommendations of the 5th Finance Commission in 1969.
- Status was first accorded to Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Nagaland in 1969.
- SCS for plan assistance was granted in the past by the National Development Council of the erstwhile Planning Commission.
- Eleven States including Assam, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Uttarakhand and Telangana have been accorded the special category state status.
- Telangana, the newest State of India, was accorded the status as it was carved out of another state Andhra Pradesh.
- SCS is different from Special status which imparts enhanced legislative and political rights, while SCS deals with only economic and financial aspects.
