Patna (Bihar):The Supreme Court on Monday is scheduled to hear a petition challenging the August 1 verdict of the Patna High Court which upheld the validity of the caste survey in Bihar. The plea was filed by an NGO 'Ek Soch Ek Paryas' and a Nalanda resident Akhisleh Kumar. The plea has submitted that the entire exercise of conducting a "census" by Bihar is without authority and legislative competence.
The plea filed by Kumar has contended that the notification issued by the state government for the exercise is against the constitutional mandate. It said that in terms of the constitutional mandate, only the Union government is empowered to conduct a census. Kumar in his plea said, "It is submitted that the Notification dated June 6, 2022, is against the Constitutional mandate of distribution of powers between the State and the Union legislature."
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has often insisted that the state is not conducting a caste census but only collecting information related to people's economic status and their caste so specific steps could be taken by the government to serve them better. A day after the high court had held the caste survey in Bihar as "valid", the state government swung into action and suspended all ongoing training programmes for teachers so they can be engaged for early completion of the exercise.
In its August 1 judgment, the high court noted that the state's decision to undertake the caste survey was perfectly valid and initiated with due competence and a legitimate aim of providing development with justice. A bench of Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice Partha Sarthy observed that the caste status sought to be collated is not intended at taxing, branding, labeling or ostracizing individuals or groups. (With PTI inputs)
Also read:Appeal in SC against Patna HC verdict upholding Bihar caste survey
