After Andhra & Bihar, Telangana Starts Comprehensive Caste Survey

Hyderabad: Telangana is set to be the third state to conduct a caste survey, following in the footsteps of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.

The Congress government, headed by Revanth Reddy, initiated the process of a mega household caste-based headcount in the southern state, the purpose being targeted and equitable resource distribution among all communities.

The orders for the caste survey, issued by the state’s chief secretary Santhi Kumari, said that the survey would be conducted by designated personnel who will go door to door to collect all necessary information.

Congress, which ousted the K Chandrasekhar Rao-helmed BRS government in the state Assembly election last year, had promised caste survey as one of its guarantees if it emerged victorious.

The chief secretary has directed that the survey has to be completed within 60 days, reported Hindustan Times.

The planning department has been designated as the nodal department to conduct the survey.

“The survey is aimed at planning and implementing various opportunities — including socio, economic, employment, educational and political — for the amelioration of OBCs, SCs and STs and other weaker sections of the state,” the order said.

A resolution to conduct a caste survey was passed by the state Assembly on February 16.

In a separate order, the Telangana SC development department said that sub-classification within SCs for reservations was necessitated following a seven-judge Supreme Court bench’s order of August 11 saying that states can sub-classify SCs and STs for the purpose of reservations.

A six-member committee headed by state Irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has been formed to study the top court’s observation and make recommendations on the way forward.

Bihar was the first state in independent India to enumerate all castes. Last year’s survey in the eastern state revealed that OBCs comprise 63.13% of the population, SCs formed 19.65% and STs 1.68%, while ‘Upper’ castes made up 15.52%.

Subsequently, the Bihar government hiked reservations to 75% in government jobs and education. Challenges to the survey are pending before the Supreme Court.

The Andhra Pradesh government on January 19 launched the process of creating a comprehensive database of people based on their castes.