In a significant development, the Supreme Court has instructed the Bihar government to make the break-up of the caste survey data public. The directive comes amid challenges to the caste survey and the Patna High Court’s endorsement of the government’s decision to conduct the exercise.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta declined interim relief to the petitioners and emphasized the importance of disclosing the data for public scrutiny. The court highlighted the legal aspects, questioning the correctness of the high court judgment and the legality of the survey.
Senior advocate Raju Ramachandaran, representing the petitioners, highlighted the implementation of the survey data by authorities, including adjustments to reservations. The bench suggested that challenges to increased reservations should be pursued before the high court.
The court expressed concern about the availability of the complete break-up of data in the public domain, stating that unless this information is disclosed, challenges to the findings cannot be effectively made. It stressed the need for transparency in allowing anyone to challenge the inferences drawn from the data.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Nitish Kumar government of irregularities in the survey, labeling the collected data as “fake.”
Justice Khanna expressed concern about the break-up of data and urged that it be made available for public scrutiny. The bench instructed senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the Bihar government, to file a report on the caste survey. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on February 5.
The Supreme Court had previously questioned the Bihar government’s decision to publish caste survey data and, while not restraining further publication, had raised questions about the state’s authority to conduct such an exercise. The court issued a formal notice on pleas challenging the Patna High Court’s order that approved the caste survey in Bihar.
As the controversy unfolds, critics argue that transparency and public disclosure are crucial in ensuring the legitimacy of the caste survey findings.
By PTI
