SC seeks Centre's response on pleas against Bihar caste survey in a week

The Supreme Court on Monday gave the Centre a week's time to file its response to a host of petitions challenging Bihar's caste survey after solicitor general Tushar Mehta told the court that the state's survey has some "ramifications" that necessitate a detailed affidavit.

- Abraham Thomas

A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti posted the matter for August 28, clarifying that it does not intend to stay the publication of the survey unless a prima facie case is made out by the petitioners that require an interim order. The court was hearing a bunch of appeals challenging an August 1 order of the Patna high court allowing the survey to proceed. The petitioners claimed that the survey conducted by the Bihar government was in the nature of a "census" which can be undertaken only by the Central government.