Following the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi repeated announcement about ‘ caste based’ survey, JMM leader and newly appointed CM Champai Soren has directed the personnel department to prepare a draft (SoP for conducting the survey) and place it before the cabinet for approval. 

 If everything goes according to the Champai government’s plan, the exercise will begin after the Lok Sabha elections,it is learnt. 

 Indicating the survey, the CM Champai Soren posted on X, "Jiski Jitni Sankhya Bhari, Uski Utni Hissedari (Bigger the population, bigger the share). Jharkhand is ready." 

 Vinay Kumar Choubey, principal secretary to the CM, told PTI, "The personnel department will prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) to conduct the survey in Jharkhand. It will be placed before the cabinet for approval." 

 The caste survey will be conducted on the pattern of neighouring Bihar, where data collection was conducted between January 7 and October 2 last year, he added.  

Choubey said that several departments, including rural and welfare, were considered but the personnel department was finalised for carrying out the survey.  

Ex CM Hemant Soren and MLAs of the ruling JMM-Congress-RJD government in Jharkhand have been demanding a caste-based survey in the state. 

They also raised the demand several times in the state assembly. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during his Jharkhand leg of the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in the first week of this month, also advocated for the caste census. 

 Gandhi had promised a nationwide caste census and the removal of the 50 per cent cap on reservation if the opposition INDIA bloc formed the government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls.