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Telangana Assembly approves caste census, calls for countrywide caste survey

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News in short:
The Telangana Assembly on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution urging the central government to conduct a nationwide caste census. The resolution, moved by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, aims to ensure social justice and empower various socioeconomic groups by gathering data on population by caste. The state government has also conducted its own socio-economic caste census to understand the population of each caste in Telangana. The chief minister stated the government's commitment to delivering social justice to all communities, including backward classes, scheduled castes, and scheduled tribes. Meanwhile, backward classes leaders have demanded the government to enforce 42% reservations for backward classes candidates in the upcoming local body elections. The demand has sparked tensions with the BRS party accusing the Congress government of "betraying" the backward classes and allegedly conspiring to reduce their representation. The BRS members staged a walkout from the Assembly to protest the alleged betrayal. BRS MLC K Kavitha questioned the Congress government's stance on reservations and demanded clarity on whether elections will be conducted only after enforcing them.
Telangana Assembly Approves Caste Census, Urges Nationwide Survey

Hyderabad: Telangana Assembly approved the socio-economic caste census survey conducted to know the population of each caste to ensure social justice on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy moved a resolution urging the central government to conduct a comprehensive nationwide caste survey which was unanimously passed in the House.

Participating in a discussion on the caste survey in the Assembly, the chief minister asserted that the state government is committed to deliver social justice to Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other marginalized groups. He also affirmed that the caste census will guide the policies designed to empower and uplift various socioeconomic groups in the state.

The Telangana Assembly’s resolution implores the central government to replicate a similar comprehensive survey at the national level to ensure data-driven governance for all communities.

Meanwhile, the Backward Classes leaders have demanded the government to enforce 42 percent reservations to the candidates from the community in the impending local body elections.

Senior leaders from Backward Classes (BCs), including Rajya Sabha member and National BC Association president R. Krishnaiah, and former chairman of the Telangana BC Commission Vakulabharanam Krishna Mohan Rao have warned the government of massive agitations if their demand is not fulfilled.

BRS MLC K Kavitha has demanded the Congress government to clarify its stance on the reservations for the BC candidates. Participating in a discussion in the Legislative Council on the caste census in Telangana, she sought to know if the government would conduct the elections only after enforcing the reservations.

Earlier in the day, the BRS members staged a walkout from the Assembly over the alleged “betrayal” of Backward Classes (BCs) by the Congress government. BRS MLA KT Rama Rao alleged that the state government is conspiring to reduce the BC population by five percent to deprive them of their due representation and benefits.