Caste census should be undertaken once every 10 years, says Siddaramaiah

Batting for a nationwide caste-based census,

senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said it should be undertaken once every 10 years to ensure social justice. "Current social and economic policies are being implemented based on 90-year-old caste census data which is not the true reflection of the present demography. Hence caste census should be undertaken once every 10 years to ensure social justice," Siddaramaiah said. Pointing out that the Congress government led by him in Karnataka had initiated Caste census at a cost of Rs 180 crore, the former Chief Minister in a tweet said, even other States are showing interest. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate caste census in the country, he pointed out. The then Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in 2015 had commissioned the Social and Educational Survey, or the caste census in the state, findings of which have not been made public yet. According to official sources, the findings of the survey is allegedly contrary to the traditional perception of the numerical strength of various castes in Karnataka, making it a political hot potato. Siddaramaiah and various groups are demanding that the BJP government in the state make the caste census data public. The cast census report is currently with the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes. Later speaking at an National Students Union of India (NSUI) Karnataka event, Siddaramaiah took a dig at Modi on the issue of unemployment and said, "He (PM) had promised two crore jobs a year. So in seven years, he should have created 14 crore jobs. Has he given at least 14,000? He couldn't provide jobs and grew a beard.