Caste survey a step closer in Jharkhand, though timeline remains

Government sources say standard operating procedure will be prepared first, dates will be finalised afterwards.

Jharkhand CM Champai Soren had earlier said that a survey will be conducted to enumerate the state’s caste composition, stating that the exercise may be taken after the Lok Sabha election.

Moving closer to conducting a caste survey in the state, the Jharkhand Cabinet on Wednesday designated the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms as the nodal agency for the purpose. However, a timeline to carry out the survey has not been given. Sources in the government said first the standard operating procedure (SOP) will be prepared by the department concerned after which the dates will be finalised.

Jharkhand CM Champai Soren had earlier said that a survey will be conducted to enumerate the state’s caste composition, stating that the exercise may be taken after the Lok Sabha election.

After the Wednesday meeting, Department of Personnel Secretary Vandana Dadel said: “Approval has been given to include ‘caste survey’ as the responsibility of the Department of Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Official Language, Jharkhand, in the first schedule of ‘Jharkhand Executive Rules, 2000’ (as amended from time to time).”

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Champai, who took charge as Chief Minister on February 2, had posted on X the same month: “Jiski jitni sankhya bhari, uski utni hissedaari! Jharkhand hai taiyar (The numbers will decide the share! Jharkhand is ready).”

The developments follow the release of the Bihar caste survey findings in October last year. According to the survey, Extremely Backward and Other Backward Classes together formed more than 63 per cent of the state’s population.

Caste survey has been a political flashpoint for long with the Opposition parties demanding it for reservation and the BJP resisting it. In fact, in the second leg of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had promised caste enumeration if his party came to power.

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Caste census