The Kerala government told the Supreme Court on Monday that it had pinned its hopes on a caste census held by the Centre in 2011 to identify socio-economic backward classes in the State, but the data proved “not at all helpful”.
The State is facing contempt proceedings in the Supreme Court for “wilfully disobeying” judicial orders to periodically revise its backward classes’ list in order to ensure equitable distribution of the benefits of reservation in public employment.
While States like Bihar have held its own caste survey ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Kerala, through its Chief Secretary Venu V., recounted about months spent waiting for a copy of the 2011 census report from the Centre and even blamed the tough months of COVID for not conducting its own caste survey and revision of backward classes list.
