Make break-up of caste survey data public: SC to Bihar

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Bihar government to make the break-up of the caste survey data public, allowing those aggrieved to challenge the findings.

- ASHISH SINHA

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta declined to grant interim relief to the petitioners challenging the caste survey and the Patna High Court's order upholding the Bihar government's decision. The bench emphasised the need for a comprehensive hearing to address the legal issues surrounding the high court's judgment and the legality of the survey.

Senior advocate Raju Ramachandaran, representing the petitioners, highlighted that the survey data is being implemented, with increased reservation percentages for various categories. The bench suggested challenging the increased reservation before the high court, and Justice Khanna expressed concern about the public accessibility of the survey data break-up. The court insisted that the entire break-up should be in the public domain for effective challenges.

Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the Bihar government, assured that the data, including the break-up, is available on the designated website for pub

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