The Jharkhand Cabinet has decided to incorporate the task of conducting a caste-based census into the responsibilities of the Personnel, Administrative Reforms, and Rajbhasha Department.
This decision was taken during the State Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.
"The Personnel Department will draft a standard operating procedure (SOP) for conducting the survey in Jharkhand, which will then be submitted to the Cabinet for approval," said an official.
Jharkhand's caste survey will mirror the approach used by neighbouring Bihar, where data collection occurred between January 7 and October 2 of the previous year.
This survey aims not only to document the distribution of various communities but also to examine the social and economic challenges faced by these groups.
For example, it will assess factors like literacy rates, healthcare access, and employment opportunities among different castes.
Government sources have confirmed that issues related to the caste census have been resolved.
Traditionally, census activities are assigned to the Land and Revenue and Land Reforms Department.
However, the work of a caste-based census was not specified in the executive rules, leading the Champai Soren administration to designate the Personnel Department for this task.
Although the exact timeline for the survey is not yet clear, sources indicate that the Personnel Department aims to avoid significant delays.
The results of the caste-based census are expected to be released before the assembly elections in November.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also championed the idea of a caste census during his 'Nyay Yatra' in Jharkhand, promising a nationwide caste census and the removal of the 50 per cent reservation cap if the opposition INDIA bloc came to power after the Lok Sabha elections.
Congress MLA Pradeep Yadav and AJSU MLA Lambodar Mahato had highlighted this issue through a calling attention motion in the Assembly. In response, then Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam assured them that the government supported the caste census.
Following the announcement, an Action Taken Report (ATR) was presented based on the Assembly's assurance.
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