On Friday, the Supreme Court gave the Bihar government notice regarding a petition challenging a caste-based survey in the state and declined to stay any proceedings related to the release of the caste census data. Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti’s bench made it clear that nothing would be kept pending at this time. The court ruled that because doing so would be improper, it cannot prevent the state government or any other government from making a decision.
The court, however, said it would consider any issue with regard to data of caste-based survey and examine the issue regarding the power of the state govt to conduct such exercises.
The court also sought to know from the Bihar government why they published the data.
The court was hearing petitions challenging the Patna High Court’s decision to uphold the caste survey initiated by the Bihar Government.
The petitioner’s lawyer has apprised the court that the Bihar Government has already published the caste survey data, prompting concerns and challenges from various quarters.