Supreme Court

Caste Survey Breakdown to be Made Public for Scrutiny & Challenges: SC to Bihar Govt

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Bihar government to make the breakdown of the caste survey data public, allowing those aggrieved to challenge the findings.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta declined to grant interim relief to the petitioners challenging the caste survey and the Patna High Court’s order upholding the Bihar government’s decision. The bench emphasized the need for a comprehensive hearing to address the legal issues surrounding the high court’s judgment and the legality of the survey.

Senior advocate Raju Ramachandaran, representing the petitioners, highlighted that the survey data is being implemented, with increased reservation percentages for various categories. The bench suggested challenging the increased reservation before the high court, and Justice Khanna expressed concern about the public accessibility of the survey data breakdown. The court insisted that the entire breakdown should be in the public domain for effective challenges.

Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the Bihar government, assured that the data, including the breakdown, is available on the designated website for public scrutiny. Justice Khanna stressed the importance of making the complete breakdown public to facilitate challenges to the inferences drawn from the data.

The bench instructed Divan to file a report on the caste survey and scheduled further hearings for February 5. The court had previously questioned the Bihar government’s decision to publish the caste survey data and refused to restrain further data publication. The data, released on October 2, 2023, revealed the composition of OBCs and EBCs as 63% of the state’s population.

The BJP accused the Nitish Kumar government of irregularities and labeled the collected data as “fake.” The Supreme Court had earlier issued notices on pleas challenging the Patna High Court’s August 1, 2023, order approving the caste survey. The court rejected the petitioners’ request for a complete stay on further data publication and has been consistently emphasizing the need for a thorough examination of the legal aspects surrounding the caste survey.

Nunnem Gangte

Recent Posts

Punjab & Haryana HC Notice To Jindal Law School Over AI-Generated Exam Claims

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday has issued a notice to Jindal Global…

4 hours ago

ED Files Money Laundering Complaint Against Charanjit Singh Bajaj, 4 Others

The ED on Tuesday has filed a Prosecution Complaint before the Special Court in Mohali…

4 hours ago

Pune Porsche Case: SC Rejects Anticipatory Bail To Father Of Minor Driver’s Friend

The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied bail to Arunkumar Devnath Singh, whose son is a…

6 hours ago

SC Dumps Plea Against Quashing LOC For Sushant Singh Rajput’s Ex-House Help

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the Centre's appeal against a Bombay High Court order…

6 hours ago

Rape Case: SC Issues Notice On Ex-Army Officer’s Plea For Quashing Charge sheet

The Supreme Court on Tuesday has agreed to review a plea from retired Army Captain…

6 hours ago

Chhattisgarh NAN Scam: FIR Against 2 Retired IAS Officers, Former AG

The Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau on Tuesday has registered a case against 2 retired IAS officers…

7 hours ago