Nitish Vs Centre: JDU backs caste-based census; RJD reminds 'You have stake in Centre'

Yet another point of contention cropped up between NDA allies - BJP & JDU on Saturday after Bihar CM Nitish Kumar backed a caste-based census, contradicting the Centre. Reminding that the Bihar Assembly passed a resolution in 2019 and February 2020 backing the same, he urged the Centre to reconsider its decision. He said that a caste-based census will help people gain benefits from schemes.

Nitish Kumar backs caste-based census

Responding to the Bihar CM, the Leader of Opposition asked him what he would do if the Centre does not reconsider the caste census. Pointing out that JDU had a stake in the Centre now with a cabinet minister, he asked why did JDU still have to persuade the BJP. RJD has slammed the MHA for not holding a caste-based census inspite of multiple states' demands.

MHA: 'No caste-based census'

On Tuesday, Union Hime Ministry said that the Centre would not be including caste wise data on population other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the national Census. The Ministry, responding in the Lok Sabha, said that the decision has been taken as a matter of policy. While the national census was to be held in 2020, it was postponed due to the onset of COVID-19.

“The State governments of Maharashtra and Odisha have requested to collect caste details in the forthcoming Census. The Government of India decided as a matter of policy not to enumerate caste-wise population other than SCs and STs in Census,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said in the Lok Sabha. The Ministry had earlier informed that the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) was carried out in 2011 and later decided not to update the SECC.

Last year, Odisha joined Maharashtra and Bihar to become the third State to request to collect caste details in the forthcoming Census. The Odisha government wrote to the Centre urging for holding enumeration of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) along with the general census in 2021. Justifying the request, the state had claimed that no formal census including caste details of the population has been undertaken since 1931.The state government informed that the data regarding the SEBC and OBC population would help in taking up focussed planning for these communities.