Patna, April 16: The cabinet has put its seal on 35 per cent reservation for women in the police force today, turning the chief minister’s promise into reality.

During the inauguration of Bihar Divas celebrations on March 22, chief minister Nitish Kumar announced the government’s plan regarding this.

“The cabinet has cleared the home department’s proposal to extend 35 per cent reservation to women of all categories — both in reserved and unreserved — in the recruitment of constables and sub-inspectors,” cabinet coordination department secretary Brajesh Mehrotra said.

The decision would benefit thousands of girls as the government has already announced that it would fill up around 43,000 vacancies, including around 26,000 constables alone, in the next five years.

Mehrotra said the existing 3 per cent reservation for women of backward classes would not be disturbed. It means that 35 per cent of quota would be carved out from the rest 97 per cent of vacancies.

The cabinet also gave its nod to the environment and forest department’s proposal to declare sparrow as the state bird. Similarly, it also approved the department’s proposal to declare ox, pipal and genda (marigold) as state animal, state tree and state flower, respectively, he said.