Bihar caste-based survey 2023

The process of caste-based survey started in Bihar from January 7, 2023.[1] The responsibility of conducting this survey in Bihar has been entrusted to the General Administration Department (GAD) of the government. The Government of Bihar is planning to collect data of every family digitally through a Mobile phone app- Bijaga (Bihar Jaati Adharit Ganana). BELTRON (Bihar State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd.), a Government of Bihar agency providing IT support, hired the services of a Maharashtra-based private firm to develop the mobile app, which will soon be available on Google Play. It will host the data on cloud. Necessary training has already been given to the people involved in this survey.[2] GAD of Bihar has prepared a blueprint for the caste census survey. This census will be done in two phases. There are as many as 214 castes on Bihar government list.[3] According to the list, 22 are to be counted in Scheduled Castes, 32 in Scheduled Tribes, 30 in Backward Classes, 113 in Extremely Backward Classes and 7 in Upper Castes.[4]

The Bihar government issued a notification on June 6, 2022, to conduct a caste survey in Bihar.[5][6] The Bihar government will spend Rs 500 crore in this work from its contingency fund (Bihar Aakasmikta Nidhi),[7] while 5 lakh employees together will conduct this survey in the entire state. Apart from government employees, Anganwadi workers and Jeevika Didi will also work in this. A target has been set to complete this survey by May 2023.[8]

A portal has been prepared for caste-based enumeration in Bihar. The digital work for caste-based enumeration in Bihar has been entrusted to Delhi-based company Trigene Technology. On 20 January 2023, Supreme Court of India refused to entertain various pleas challenging Bihar Government's notification to conduct caste-based census in Bihar.[9][10][11] Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar said that the exercise is not caste census, instead its a caste survey.[12][13][14]

First phase

The first phase of caste-based survey started in Bihar from January 7, 2023, which ended on January 21.[15] The number of all households in the State were counted and recorded in the first phase.[16] The second phase will be calculated on the basis of the data of the first phase. All the data collected in the first phase is uploaded on this portal and these data will be available to the enumerators and supervisors at the time of second enumeration on the mobile app. In the first phase, more than two and a half crore families were counted In the first phase of caste census, census workers reached about 2,58,90,497 families across Bihar in 38 districts, which have 534 blocks and 261 urban local bodies and numbered the houses.[17] In the first phase, the name of the head of the family and the number of members living there were recorded.[18] More than 5.18 lakh personnel were engaged in the caste census of the first phase which began on January 7. Survey of 14.35 lakh families was done in Patna district, left out families can give information to District Caste Enumeration Cell.[19]

Second phase

In second phase of the survey, which is to start from April 15 and end on May 15,[20] people living in the households, their castes, sub-castes, socio-economic conditions etc. will be collected. The survey will end on May 31, 2023. In this phase, over 3.04 lakh enumerators will ask respondents 17 questions, including caste.[21] Every enumerator has been given a target to reach out to 150 households. While all 17 questions are mandatory, filling Aadhaar number, caste certificate number and ration card number of the head of the family, are optional.[22] Bihar government has set different codes for 215 different castes of the state.[23][24] At the same time, there will be special strictness regarding the registration of names in this phase. If someone tries to write the name twice, now the app will mark such people. The names of people living outside the state will also be registered.

List of 17 questions in second phase
S.NoQuestion
1full name of family member
2Father's / Husband's name
3relation to the head of the family
4age (in years)
5gender
6marital status
7Religion
8caste
9temporary migration status (place of work or study, whether within or outside state, country or abroad)
10educational qualifications (pre-primary to post master’s degree)
11profession [ranges from government to private job in organised or unorganised sector, self-employed, farmer (owner of farm land), agricultural labourer, construction labourer, other labourer, skilled labourer, beggar, rag-picker, student, housewife to those having no work]
12ownership of computer/laptop (with or without internet connectivity)
13motor vehicle (two-wheeler, three-wheeler, four-wheeler, six-wheeler or more, tractor)
14agricultural land (area from 0-50 decimals to 5 acres and above)
15residential land (area from 5 decimals land to 20 decimals and above; flat owner in a multi-storied apartment)
16monthly income from all sources(ranging from a minimum 0- ₹ 6,000 to a maximum ₹ 50,000 and above)
17residential condition (pucca/thatched house, hutment or homeless)

Survey Report

See also

References
  1. Tewary, Amarnath (2023-01-06). "Bihar caste census to begin from January 7". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  2. Deuskar, Nachiket. "Explainer: Why Bihar is conducting a caste census". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  3. "Expectations high among villagers, tepid response among urbanites to Bihar's caste-based survey". 15 January 2023.
  4. "पटना में 100 साल पहले सबसे अधिक अहीर, कुर्मी और बाभन की थी आबादी; इस बार होगी इन 204 जातियों की गणना".
  5. Tewary, Amarnath (2023-01-20). "Bihar caste survey | Nitish Kumar welcomes Supreme Court decision". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  6. "Let the caste count begin". The Times of India. 20 January 2023.
  7. "Bihar caste-based census gets cabinet nod, to be completed by February 2023". 2 June 2022.
  8. "Caste-based survey to begin in Bihar from Jan 7". India Today. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  9. Tewary, Amarnath (2023-01-20). "Bihar caste survey | Nitish Kumar welcomes Supreme Court decision". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  10. "SC allows caste census, says how else will Bihar fix quota". 20 January 2023.
  11. "Pleas against caste census in Bihar merely for publicity: Supreme Court". 20 January 2023.
  12. "It's caste survey, not census: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on plea in top court". The Times of India. 12 January 2023.
  13. "SC plea has no meaning, ours is caste survey not census: Nitish". The Times of India. 12 January 2023.
  14. "Caste 'Count', Not 'Census', in Bihar to Avoid Legal Complications: Nitish Kumar".
  15. "Caste survey: 2.60 crore families identified in Bihar till January 20". The Times of India. 22 January 2023.
  16. Lakshman, Abhinay (26 January 2023). "Phase 1 completed, form for next stage still being finalised". The Hindu.
  17. "Caste-based Census: First phase begins in Bihar; over 2.58 cr families across 38 districts to be counted".
  18. "Nitish Kumar launches caste-based survey, says people will be hugely benefitted after recognition of their economic status". The Times of India. 7 January 2023.
  19. "Bihar caste survey: People staying in joint families want them listed as separate family units for govt doles". 25 January 2023.
  20. Monu, Sanjay Kumar (2023-03-18). "Bihar Caste-Based Survey Second Phase Starts on April 15". Muzcorner. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  21. "203 castes in Bihar to choose from as 2nd leg of survey begins April 15".
  22. "As Bihar readies for caste survey, statisticians worry about data".
  23. "बिहार में 215 जातियों का कोड जारी, जातीय जनगणना के लिए अपनी जाति का कोड जानिए".
  24. "Bihar Caste Census : जातिगत गणना में 'अ'धर्म का भी कोड, 214 जातियां हैं...कोड-1 की जाति का नाम जानते हैं?".
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