Telangana Chief Minister and Congress leader Revanth Reddy on Saturday announced that a caste survey will be conducted in the state soon, The News Minute reported.

Reddy said that his government is committed to fulfilling the Congress’ promise made during the Assembly election campaign last year to conduct a caste survey, PTI reported.

The chief minister’s announcement on Saturday came after a meeting with officials of backward classes, minority and tribal welfare departments in which he also directed officials to assess the feasibility of setting up backward classes study circles in every Lok Sabha constituency of Telangana.

Several Opposition parties, including the Congress, have urged the Centre to conduct a nationwide caste census. They have contended that the exercise would help improve the delivery of social benefits and welfare schemes to the public.

The demand for such an exercise was bolstered after the Bihar government in October released the findings of a caste survey that it had ordered in January 2023. The findings showed that the Extremely Backward Classes account for 36% of the state’s 13.07 crore population and the Other Backward Class 27.13%.

The Andhra Pradesh government is also conducting a caste survey that will conclude on February 15. The Cabinet had approved a proposal in November for a backward classes caste survey but it was scrapped after the state Backward Classes Minister CS Venugopala Krishna suggested that the scope of the exercise be widened to cover all castes, The Indian Express reported.

In October, the Congress said that it will carry out a nationwide caste census if the party is voted to power in the Lok Sabha polls.

Also read: What possibilities and challenges does the caste survey open up for the BJP and the Opposition?