Key Takeaways
- The Patna High Court cleared legal hurdles, allowing the caste survey to proceed.
- The survey will gather socio‑economic data on Bihar’s castes to guide welfare schemes.
- Petitioners’ challenge may still be taken up to the Supreme Court for further review.
Patna: Patna High Court on Tuesday dismissed petitions challenging decision of the State Government to carry out caste survey in Bihar and gave its green signal to government to go ahead in this connection.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran dismissed the
petitions challenging decision of the state government to carry out caste census in Bihar.
The Court dismissed all objections raised by the petitioners for a stay on the process initiated for caste census in Bihar.
Judgement of Patna High Court paved the way for the state government to go ahead with the caste survey in Bihar. The Court had reserved its judgement on July 7 after hearing arguments for five days in this connection.
Counsel of the petitioner had submitted before the Court that caste census was being conducted by state government in Bihar in the name of caste survey. Caste census could not be carried by state government as only Centre had the right to do the exercise.
On the other hand, Advocate General P K Shahi submitted before the Court that caste survey was being conducted to know the realities of socio-economic conditions of all castes in Bihar. It would help state government to roll out various schemes for those who were left behind on path of development, he pointed out.
Shahi had stressed that state government had right to collect data on socio economic conditions of various castes in Bihar. Anyone was not bound to share data on caste and other aspects as it was a voluntary exercise and not mandatory to reveal data before enumerator at any cost, he pointed out.
Counsel of petitioners said that judgement of Patna High Court would be challenged in Supreme Court. Earlier, Supreme Court had asked Patna High Court to hear petitions and deliver its judgement
