Reservation in private sector? Bihar's Tejashwi Yadav writes to PM Modi about caste census: 'Merely the first step'

Days after the Centre approved the caste census, Bihar's Leader of Opposition (LoP) Tejashwi Yadav has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and welcomed the decision, but has highlighted that this is "merely the first step." Stating that census data must lead to a "comprehensive review of social protection and reservation policies", he batted for inclusivity in the private sector.

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"Conducting the caste census is merely the first step of the long journey towards social justice. The census data must lead to a comprehensive review of social protection and reservation policies. The arbitrary cap on reservations will also have to be reconsidered," he said in the letter.

Yadav further stated, "The private sector, which has been a major beneficiary of public resources, cannot remain insulated from social justice imperatives. Companies have received substantial benefits...all funded by taxpayer money. In return, it is reasonable to expect them to reflect the social composition of our country." He added, "The context created by the caste census must be used to have open conversations about inclusivity and diversity in the private sector across organisational hierarchies."

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Criticising the NDA government for its delay in its decision on the caste census and its politics around the caste census in Bihar, he wrote: "For years, your government and the NDA alliance have dismissed calls for a caste census as divisive and unnecessary. When Bihar took the initiative to conduct its own caste survey, central authorities including the top law officer of the government and your party created obstacles at every step. Your party colleagues questioned the very necessity of such data collection."

"Your belated decision represents an acknowledgement of the groundswell of demands from the citizens who have long been relegated to the margins of our society."

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The Leader of the Opposition in Bihar ended his letter to PM Modi by asking a question, "Will the data be used as a catalyst for systemic reforms, or will it be confined to dusty archives like many previous commission reports?..."

Bihar Caste Census

The Bihar Assembly passed a unanimous resolution seeking a Caste Census across the country in February 2020, when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was the past of Mahagathbandhan government. Later, the Mahagathbandhan government went ahead to hold a statewide caste survey on its own. Its findings, released on October 2, 2023, showed that the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) together constituted more than 63% of the population of Bihar.

putting his weight behind it. Despite the Centre dithering on the issue then, in Bihar even the BJP was part of the delegation that met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021 to seek a nationwide caste count. In absolute numbers, it put Bihar’s population at 13.07 crore, and put the OBCs at 3.54 crore (27 per cent) and the EBCs at 4.7 crore (36 per cent).