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NATION JANUARY 13, 2023 | The Indian Eye 8

With eyes on OBC base, Nitish Kumar

begins caste-based census in Bihar

Supreme Court had issued notice to the Centre on a plea seeking directions for a caste-based census for
Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the upcoming Census

OUR BUREAU
Patna/New Delhi
ihar Chief Minister Nitish Ku-
mar on Friday said that the
Bstate government has decided
to start the caste-based census for the
benefit of people in Bihar and such
census is also important for the na-
tion’s growth. The caste census will
begin this week. “We have decided
to start the caste-based census in the
state for the benefit of people in Bi-
har. We are doing this to understand
other aspects as well and work for de-
velopment accordingly. Caste-based
census is important for the nation’s
growth as well,” Kumar said.
Nitish Kumar on Friday said that
the government is fully prepared to
conduct caste-based census in the
state. The census will begin from
Saturday. Kumar, who is on Samad-
han Yatra, said the government has
trained officials to carry out caste-
based census taking into consider-
ation the sub-castes in the state and
the financial status of the citizens. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav (ANI)
He also stated that the census
will be beneficial for the develop- Meanwhile, an official at the among backward classes due to a Census 2021 was notified in the Ga-
ment of the state and the country. general administration department lack of caste-based survey. zette of India on March 28, 2019.
“We have trained our officers to con- said they didn’t have information It said that a caste-based census “Due to the outbreak of the
duct a detailed caste census. This will about the exact number of workforce of the OBCs is of vital necessity. The COVID-19 pandemic, the Census
benefit the development of the state to be engaged in the exercise. But ac- petition had contended that concrete 2021 and the related field activities
and also the country,” Kumar said. cording to their calculation, around policies cannot be formulated in the have been postponed until further
During the first phase of the sur-
vey, which will continue for a fort- five lakh government employees will absence of concrete data. orders,” he said.
The castes and tribes which are
be required to complete the exercise
Also, the Ministry of Home Af-
night, the listing of houses and cal- till May this year. fairs had said that the Government specifically notified as Scheduled
culation of families and buildings will Earlier, the Supreme Court has is- of India has not enumerated the Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes
be done. The second phase will span sued notice to the Centre on a plea seek- caste-wise population other than (STs) as per the Constitution (Sched-
from April 1 to April 30. He said the ing directions for a caste-based census Scheduled Caste (SC) and Sched- uled Castes) Order 1950 and the
workforce to be engaged in the pro- for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) uled Tribes (ST) in Census since in- Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Or-
cess had been properly trained for in the upcoming Indian Census. dependence. der 1950, as amended from time to
the purpose. “We are conducting a A bench of Chief Justice DY Members of Parliament have time, are enumerated in the Census.
caste survey so that we could know Chandrachud and Justice PS Nara- asked questions on the present sta- The Government of India has not
what should be done for the growth simha sought a response from the tus of the proposed 2021 Census and enumerated caste-wise population
of the people (left behind in the mat- Centre and tagged the matter with a asked whether the Government is other than SCs and STs in Census
ter of development),” he said. similar case pending before it. Advo- considering to conduct caste and sub- since independence, he replied.
Asserting that he wants the caste
On being asked the details of the
census at the national level, the CM cate Krishan Kanhaya Pal, a practic- caste including the synonyms-based funds likely to be spent on the pro-
ing advocate at the Allahabad High
census in the proposed census. Re-
said the exercise would not only Court, has approached the apex sponding to the questions, Minister posed census, he said that the Gov-
prove beneficial for the country’s court saying that the governments of State in the Ministry of Home ernment has approved Rs 8754.23
development but would uplift every are unable to share the benefits of Affairs Nityanand Rai said that the crore for the exercise of Census of
section of society.
the welfare schemes with all sections intent of the Government to conduct India 2021. Captions

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