The Supreme Court will hear petitions contesting the results of the Bihar Caste Survey

In a major legal move, the Patna High Court’s decision on the Bihar caste census is being challenged in two petitions that will be heard by the Supreme Court of India. The high court earlier dismissed a number of petitions challenging the survey’s legality in order to uphold its legitimacy.

On August 7, a bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti will hear the first plea, which was submitted by the non-profit organization “Ek Soch Ek Paryas.” According to PTI, Akhilesh Kumar, a resident of Nalanda, filed the second plea, claiming that the state government’s announcement of the caste census is in violation of the constitution.

The state government’s initiative to conduct a “census” independently, in Kumar’s argument, violates the Union government’s constitutionally-reserved authority to conduct a census. He contends that the June 6, 2022, notice is invalid and in violation of the constitution.

 

According to Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, the survey is not intended to be a caste census but rather to gather data on people’s economic condition and caste in order to implement targeted policies for their benefit.

 

The Patna High Court found the state’s actions to be legal and lawful, with the legitimate aim of advancing development and justice, in its 101-page judgement.

 

The Bihar government immediately paused current teacher training programs after the high court approved the survey in order to gather resources for the survey’s completion. On January 21, the survey’s first phase, which included some 15,000 officials and enumerators going door to door, came to an end.

 

The survey would cost Rs 500 crore from the state government’s contingency fund, which reflects the importance and scope of the project.