Only Central Govt can hold caste survey, Supreme Court told

New Delhi, August 28

Terming the census as a statutory exercise governed by the Census Act, 1948, the Centre has told the Supreme Court that no other body was entitled to conduct a census or anything akin to it.

In a short affidavit filed in response to petitions challenging the caste census in Bihar, the Centre submitted that the Census Act, 1948, was enacted in the exercise of the powers under Entry 69 of List I of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution which enumerates the subjects on which Parliament was authorised to make laws.

Noting that the Census Act empowered only the Central Government to conduct a census, it said no other body under the Constitution or otherwise was entitled to conduct the exercise of either a census or any action akin to a census.

The Centre, however, said, “The Central Government is committed to taking all affirmative action for the upliftment of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and the applicable law.”