New Delhi: The caste census began in Bihar on Saturday, with chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday clarifying that only castes – and not sub-castes – will be catalogued as part of the exercise, along with the economic status of each family.
According to the Indian Express, Nitish said the government wants an error-free caste census and “proper training” was given to all those who will oversee the enumeration. “For example, if someone mentions his/her sub-caste in place of caste, it has to be cross-checked and corrected. This is why we needed to train the enumerators” he said.
The economic status of each family will also be sought so that the government gets an idea about “what needs to be done later about them”, according to the newspaper. “We will also get the number of family members living in and outside the state. The enumerators will also talk to people living outside the state,” said Nitish, who has been on a “Samadhan Yatra”.