Supreme Court Denies Plea for Socio-Economic Caste Census: Governance Issue

The Supreme Court refused a plea asking the government to conduct a socio-economic caste census for marginalized sections, stating the issue is a governance matter. The plea highlighted the need for updated data, last collected comprehensively in 1931, and its importance for equitable resource distribution and policy implementation.

The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking government action on a socio-economic caste census. The court emphasized that the issue is firmly within the governance domain and not a judicial one.

A bench consisting of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti allowed petitioner P Prasad Naidu to withdraw the plea, which called for expedited census data collection. The bench underscored that such matters fall under policy and governance, not judicial intervention.

The plea argued that updating the census data, collected periodically since 1931, is crucial for effective policy-making and equitable resource distribution. However, citing challenges over data classification, the court declined to interfere.

(With inputs from agencies.)