In reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, this Tuesday, Union Minister Nityanand Rai said, the Centre isn’t looking forward to conducting a caste-based census other than SCs and STs.
Commenting on the same topic, this Saturday, in the Parliament, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar urges the Centre to conduct the caste-based census.
Mr. Kumar said the caste-based census should be conducted at least once to identify the poor other than Dalits and develop welfare schemes accordingly.
Referencing the Bihar Assembly as an example, Mr. Kumar said, the Bihar Assembly has passed two resolutions in favor of caste-based census in 2021. and 2020. The central government should also consider the same.
Mr. Kumar’s emphasis on a caste-based census is based on Justice Rohini’s commission that sub categorizes the reservation for OBCs. Justice Rohini Commission was set up in 2017 that recommends splitting the 27% OBC reservation to all the castes that fall under OBC based on their population. In February 2021, the commission submitted a report in which it divides the 2633 OBC castes into four categories splitting the 27% reservation in 2, 6, 9, 10% depends on their population.
For those of you who don’t know, India hasn’t conducted the caste-based since 1931.
It is interesting to know that, in favor of conducting a caste-based census both Nitish Kumar and his arch-rival Lalu Prasad are on the same page.
The former Chief Minister of Bihar “Jitan Ram Manjhi” also echoed about the same on Twitter.
