Patna high court rejects petition against Bihar government's caste-based survey

The caste-based survey became a political flashpoint in Bihar as the Opposition criticised the government's move.

The Patna high court on Tuesday dismissed pleas challenging the decision of the Bihar government to conduct a caste-based survey in the state. The high court has, in effect, paved the way for a caste-based survey in the state.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar

Talking to reporters outside the court after a hearing by a bench headed by chief justice K Vinod Chandran, the counsel said he will move the Supreme Court against the judgment.

"We do not know the details of the order which comes barely a few months after the court had stayed the survey. In the open court, the bench said it was rejecting all the petitions," he said.

"We will be able to say more once we get a copy of the judgement. Of course, the judgement implies that the state government can carry out the survey. We will move the Supreme Court, though," he added.

Earlier, the Patna high court had ordered to put the survey on hold. The caste-based survey became a political flashpoint in Bihar as the Opposition criticised the government's move.

The first round of caste-based survey in Bihar was conducted between January 7 and 21. The second round started on April 15 and was supposed to continue till May 15.

The petitions before the high court was filed by a social outfit and some individuals, who had earlier moved the Supreme Court after their request for an 'interim relief' in the form of a stay on the survey was turned down.

The Supreme Court refused to interfere as well, and referred them back to the high court with directions that their petition be decided expeditiously.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar has maintained that the state is not conducting a caste census but only collecting information related to people's economic status and their caste so that specific steps could be taken by the government to serve them better.