Jharkhand may join a group of states demanding population data on caste and tribe.” It is in the list of demand to be raised by ruling parties in the state”, said a senior JMM leader on condition of anonymity.

Till date, three states -Bihar, Maharashtra and Odisha - and a few organisations have requested to collect caste details in the forthcoming census.If Jharkhand raises similar demand, the number of states doing so will rise to four in the country.

In any case,Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai informed the Parliament on Tuesday saying that the central government has not enumerated caste-wise population other than SCs and STs in census since independence.

"Three state governments, namely, Bihar, Maharashtra and Odisha and a few organisations have requested to collect caste details in the forthcoming census," Rai said in a written reply to a question.