bihar: Bihar to hold caste-based census soon; BJP on board

Bihar will conduct a caste-based census quickly, chief minister Nitish Kumar has mentioned. The state Cupboard will meet to approve the choice and draw the contours of the census, Kumar mentioned after an all-party assembly in Patna on Wednesday. There was unanimity on the census on the assembly attended by representatives of BJP, JDU, RJD, Congress, CPIML, CPIM, CPI, AIMIM and HAM.

“The all celebration assembly determined unanimously to conduct a caste-based census in Bihar. We are going to get it accredited by the Cupboard within the coming days. Work will begin very quickly at a big degree and all individuals to be concerned within the census will likely be skilled earlier than the train begins,” Kumar instructed media individuals after the assembly.

Kumar mentioned the train will likely be known as ‘caste-based census’ during which particulars of all castes in all communities, together with their financial standing and different social parameters, will likely be recorded. “The census is geared toward getting the true image of all communities and castes to assist us in coverage making and to enhance livelihood circumstances of these within the decrease strata,” Kumar mentioned.

After the Cupboard meet, the state authorities will publish ads on the census and furnish each element to keep up readability and transparency, Kumar mentioned. The contours of the census would even be in public area for transparency. The state authorities can even have a timeline for the train.

The demand for a caste-based census through the decennial train was put forth to the Centre by leaders of Bihar. An all-party delegation from Bihar had met PM Modi final August and demanded a caste census. Nevertheless, in reply to a query in Parliament, in December, the house ministry mentioned that there was no plan to gather caste information aside from these of SCs and STs through the census. Dialogue has been on in Bihar for the state to conduct a caste-based census since then.

Reservations to Backward Castes has been a political scorching potato because the VP Singh authorities introduced implementation of the Mandal Fee report. In latest court docket hearings, the Supreme Court docket has on just a few events questioned the rationale of the quantum of reservations to OBCs with out empirical proof. These favouring a caste-based census have argued that such information may very well be obtained by means of the train.