The Kerala government submitted an affidavit yesterday(29Jan,2024), to the Supreme Court, in reply to a contempt petition filed by the Minority Indians Planning and Vigilance Commission Trust.
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NEW DELHI: In Kerala, the state government, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, clarified its stance on conducting a caste survey in the state. This clarification came in the form of an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court on Monday(29Jan,2024) in response to a contempt petition filed by the Minority Indians Planning and Vigilance Commission Trust.
The affidavit explicitly stated that the Kerala government had no plans to conduct a caste survey. This decision was based on the availability of data on socio-economic classes already compiled by the Central government in 2011. The Kerala government expressed its view that this data should be obtained from the Centre, emphasizing that the Central government was equally responsible for conducting a caste survey and identifying backward classes.
The affidavit read,
“Since the data on socio-economic classes were already compiled by the Centre in 2011, the state government was of the opinion that the same be collected from the Centre. The Centre was equally bound to conduct a caste survey and identify backward classes.”
Addressing allegations of intentional disobedience to the court’s directions, the Kerala government refuted these claims. It asserted that it did not possess the socio-economic survey report as it had not been published by the Central government. This lack of access to the report was a significant factor in the state’s decision-making process regarding the caste survey.
The affidavit also shed light on the circumstances under which the state sought a copy of the 2011 caste survey report. This report was intended to aid in the identification of socially and educationally backward classes within Kerala. However, the state government found the report unhelpful for this purpose.
“The report was forwarded to the Kerala State Commission for Backward Classes chairman only in May 2023. The report was not at all helpful for the identification of socially and educationally backward classes within the state of Kerala. The report does not contain any socio-economic caste data, whatsoever,” the affidavit mentioned.
Previously, the Supreme Court had directed the Kerala government to complete a survey to ensure fair distribution of reservation benefits in public employment. In 2021, the top court extended the deadline for completing this census by a year. However, the trust later approached the court, citing the government’s failure to complete the socio-economic caste census necessary for revising the backward classes list.
This development is a crucial one in the context of socio-economic policy and reservation in Kerala. The state government’s decision and the subsequent legal proceedings underscore the complexities involved in gathering and utilizing socio-economic data for policy-making, especially in the context of reservations and social justice. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for how backward classes are identified and supported in the state, highlighting the ongoing challenges in balancing socio-economic development with the need for accurate and comprehensive data.
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