The India Supreme Court orally observed and mandated the Bihar government Tuesday to reveal a detailed breakdown of caste survey data, emphasizing the need for transparency to enable challenges to its findings. While denying interim relief to those contesting the caste survey and the supporting verdict from the Patna High Court, the court stressed the significance of examining the judgment’s legality and accuracy. This insistence on transparency stems from apprehensions that undisclosed or selectively presented data might pose significant challenges for individuals contesting the findings.

The urgency stemming from the imminent implementation of the survey and the subsequent legal contest in the Patna High Court was emphasized by senior advocate Raju Ramachandran in representation of the petitioners, while imploring the court to promptly issue an interim order. The notable escalation of reservations from 50 percent to 70 percent has further intensified the ongoing dispute.

Justice Sanjiv Khanna said, “What I am more worried about is the availability of break-up of data. To what extent the government can withhold the data? You see, the entire break-up of data should be in the public domain so that anyone can challenge the inference drawn from it. Unless it is in the public domain, they can’t challenge it.”  In contrast, senior counsel for the state of Bihar, Shyam Divan, while advocating transparency, underscored the survey’s public availability and its formal submission in the state legislature. The court scheduled the next hearing for February 5, aiming to meticulously address these concerns.

Previously, the Supreme Court refrained from restraining the Bihar government from releasing the survey’s data, revealing that Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) constituted 63 percent of the state’s population. Despite encountering legal challenges and opposition, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar staunchly defended the survey, accentuating its role in fostering comprehensive development and uplifting all sections of society.