Top Court notice to Centre on plea seeking caste-based census for OBCs

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has sought response from the Centre and others on a plea seeking directions for a caste-based census for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the upcoming Census. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha issued notices to the Centre, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and others while seeking their replies. It also tagged the matter with a similar case pending before it. The top court was hearing a plea filed by advocate Krishan Kanhaya Pal who said that the governments are unable to share the benefits of the welfare schemes with all sections among backward classes due to a lack of caste-based survey and a caste-based census of the OBCs is of 'vital necessity'. The petition had contended that concrete policies cannot be formulated in the absence of concrete data.