<p>New Delhi: The announcement of caste enumeration being added to the next census is a "belated acknowledgement" of the popular demand, CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said on Wednesday.</p>.<p>He said that the Centre should also make its intent clear about enabling the implementation of increased reservations in Bihar.</p>.<p>In a major decision, the government on Wednesday decided to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming census exercise in a "transparent" manner.</p>.Explained | What is a Caste Census? Its history, politics, and significance today.<p>Announcing the decision, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also said the census comes under the purview of the Centre but some states have done caste enumeration in the name of surveys for "political reasons,".</p>.<p>Bhattacharya's CPI(ML) Liberation was part of the Bihar government when it conducted a caste survey.</p>.<p>"This is a belated acknowledgement of popular demand for caste census, but the way they are targeting states where caste survey has taken place, making oblique comments of political motivation, makes their decision suspicious," Bhattacharya told PTI.</p>.<p>Nonetheless, he said, it is a "welcome decision".</p>.<p>"In Bihar, a caste survey has already been done by the consensus of all political parties. The national caste census should follow initiatives taken by states," he said.</p>.Rahul Gandhi welcomes govt's 'sudden' caste census decision, wants timeline for its implementation.<p>He mentioned the increase in reservation unanimously approved by the Bihar assembly in 2023 to increase the reservation Backward Classes (BC), Extremely Backward Classes (EBC), Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) from 50 per cent to 65 per cent in educational institutions and jobs which was later struck down by Patna High Court, and demanded the Centre should include it in the Ninth Schedule of Constitution.</p>.<p>The Ninth Schedule contains a list of laws that cannot be challenged in court.</p>.<p>"There has been a decision for 65 per cent reservation, it is now on the Centre to put in the Ninth Schedule. Just talking about caste census is incomplete, take the next step, make sure the reservation passed by all parties, BJP included (in Bihar assembly) shall be implemented," he said.</p>.<p>Asked about the announcement being made ahead of Bihar assembly polls, he said, "Just announcing a caste census before elections won't make any difference." "Caste survey has already taken place in Bihar. People want to see the implementation of the 65 per cent reservation, and the centre should make its intent clear about that," he added.</p>
<p>New Delhi: The announcement of caste enumeration being added to the next census is a "belated acknowledgement" of the popular demand, CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said on Wednesday.</p>.<p>He said that the Centre should also make its intent clear about enabling the implementation of increased reservations in Bihar.</p>.<p>In a major decision, the government on Wednesday decided to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming census exercise in a "transparent" manner.</p>.Explained | What is a Caste Census? Its history, politics, and significance today.<p>Announcing the decision, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also said the census comes under the purview of the Centre but some states have done caste enumeration in the name of surveys for "political reasons,".</p>.<p>Bhattacharya's CPI(ML) Liberation was part of the Bihar government when it conducted a caste survey.</p>.<p>"This is a belated acknowledgement of popular demand for caste census, but the way they are targeting states where caste survey has taken place, making oblique comments of political motivation, makes their decision suspicious," Bhattacharya told PTI.</p>.<p>Nonetheless, he said, it is a "welcome decision".</p>.<p>"In Bihar, a caste survey has already been done by the consensus of all political parties. The national caste census should follow initiatives taken by states," he said.</p>.Rahul Gandhi welcomes govt's 'sudden' caste census decision, wants timeline for its implementation.<p>He mentioned the increase in reservation unanimously approved by the Bihar assembly in 2023 to increase the reservation Backward Classes (BC), Extremely Backward Classes (EBC), Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) from 50 per cent to 65 per cent in educational institutions and jobs which was later struck down by Patna High Court, and demanded the Centre should include it in the Ninth Schedule of Constitution.</p>.<p>The Ninth Schedule contains a list of laws that cannot be challenged in court.</p>.<p>"There has been a decision for 65 per cent reservation, it is now on the Centre to put in the Ninth Schedule. Just talking about caste census is incomplete, take the next step, make sure the reservation passed by all parties, BJP included (in Bihar assembly) shall be implemented," he said.</p>.<p>Asked about the announcement being made ahead of Bihar assembly polls, he said, "Just announcing a caste census before elections won't make any difference." "Caste survey has already taken place in Bihar. People want to see the implementation of the 65 per cent reservation, and the centre should make its intent clear about that," he added.</p>