Caste-based census in Bihar: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar clears caste-based census in Bihar

Caste-based census Bihar: The Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar announced on June 1, 2022, that a caste-based count rather than a census will be held in Bihar to avoid any conflict. The announcement regarding the Caste-based census in Bihar was made after an all-party meeting on a caste census. The Chief Minister also said that all the parties, including BJP has agreed on a caste-based census in one of the largest states of India.

Nitish Kumar, while talking about the caste-based census in Bihar clarified that the state government will propose a caste-based count, not a census, to avoid legal complications. He added that all the parties were on board of the suggestion, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has always had huge reservations on the caste-based census.

Patna, Bihar | In the meeting we unanimously decided that a caste-based census will be done in a set time frame. Soon a cabinet decision will be taken and it will be available in the public domain...: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar pic.twitter.com/nILlGdqC5m

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2022

Caste-based census in Bihar: How Bihar can implement caste-based count in the state?

The Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar while announcing about the approval of caste-based count in the state said that to implement it, a proposal will be passed in the state cabinet.

Reportedly, Nitish Kumar, in the meeting, also spelled out a time-frame for the census, assuring that the parties of his government have resolved to proceed with caste count in the state.

The Chief Minister did not elaborate further but the opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD hinted that the caste-based census exercise could be carried out after the festival season this year.

Caste-based census in Bihar: Why Bihar government is pushing for caste-based census in State?

States such as Karnataka, Telangana and Odisha have carried out the caste-based census in the name of socio-economic survey.

Most parties in Bihar, including the RJD in Opposition, have supported the caste-based census in the state assuring that a time-bound exercise will include each and every detail of caste, sub-castes, community and religion and the information will be taken care of for the development of all the sections of people.

The state government has assured that the census report will be published so that no one is left out and the media too will be briefed about it from time to time. The government also argues that knowing the caste constitution of the population will lead to better, more focused policies for the most neglected section.

However, the move of passing a caste-based census in Bihar will also give leverage to the state political party to please the caste with the majority in the state.

Caste-based census in Bihar: Why Central Government is not in favour?

After the Central Government’s refusal to take a headcount of any social group other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe, Bihar Government offered to invest in a survey on its own.

The Central Government, on the other hand, believes that a Caste-based census is a divisive exercise which will further lead to the various forms of segregation in the state.