High Court Directs Government To Include No Caste, No Religion Columns In Family Survey

Hyderabad, Nov 6 (Maxim News): The High Court directed the government to consider the request of the petitioners to include NC and NR (No Caste, No Religion) columns for recording the details of those who do not disclose their caste and religion in the forms used as part of the comprehensive family survey.

Click Here To Join Us On WhatsApp

Article 25(1) of the Constitution provides for the freedom to follow the religion of one’s conscience, keeping this in mind the appeal of the petitioner is directed to be considered and a decision taken in accordance with the law. The petitioner should be informed about the decision taken.

It has issued notices to the Chief Secretaries of the General Administration, Social Welfare and Backward Classes Welfare Departments, and the BC Commission to inform them about the difficulties in collecting the details of those who have not disclosed their caste and religion.

Click Here To Join Us On WhatsApp

Mohammad Waheed along with  General Secretary of Caste Eradication Association DL Krishna filed a petition challenging the non-consideration of the petitions given for the collection of details of those who do not want to disclose caste and religious details in the social, economic, education, employment, political, caste (integrated family) survey.  Justice Surepalli Nanda took up the inquiry on Tuesday.  D.Suresh Kumar, the lawyer on behalf of the petitioner, while hearing the arguments said that they had approached the court because they submitted petitions to the authorities on the 29th of last month and 1st of this month to set up a special column for the collection of details of those who have not disclosed their caste and religion details.  He said that the Division Bench of the same High Court has recently conducted an inquiry regarding this matter. He said that the Population Statistics Commission has said that it is not necessary to disclose the details of caste and religion.  

The division bench said that no order could be given as the statistics of those who do not want caste and religion are not clear. He said that in the past, the High Court had ruled that the children of those who did not disclose their caste and religion should not be denied admission to schools. In the comprehensive family survey that the government is starting from the 6th of this month, it is requested to issue instructions to collect the details of those who do not want to reveal their caste and religion manually.  He asked to see that the collected information is recorded online in all the records and to issue guidelines in this regard.  After hearing the arguments, the judge said that he is passing orders on the interim application taking into consideration the comments made by the Division bench of the High Court and Article 25(1) of the Constitution.

Click Here To Join Us On WhatsApp

The government has been directed to consider the petitioner’s plea take a decision as per law and inform the petitioner of this decision.  The hearing was adjourned to December 4, directing the respondents to file counters with complete details in this regard.  (Maxim News)

---

More Stories:

Now you can get the latest stories from Indtoday on Telegram every day. Click the link to subscribe.  Click to follow Indtoday’s Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram. For all the latest Hyderabad News update