Patna, Jul 21 (IANS): In a jolt to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who has been batting for caste-based census for long, the Central government has said that, as a matter of policy, it will not enumerate caste-wise population data, other than on SCs and STs.

The Nitish Kumar government had passed a bill in both houses in 2019 and 2020 for caste-based census which was first demanded by RJD chief Lalu Prasad during the Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar. The Nitish Kumar government managed to pass the bill twice with some amendments.

Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, has clarified during the ongoing Monsoon Session in Parliament that caste-based census is not possible in the country. He also clarified that the Center will continue on separate seats for the SC and ST category.

His clarification comes after a member from Odisha raised the issue during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The state's Naveen Patnaik government has also advocated a caste-based census in the country.

Earlier, differences of opinion emerged between the BJP and Nitish Kumar over the issue of pollution control policy.

Nitish Kumar, during his Janata Darbar on July 11, said that the new population control policy unveiled in Uttar Pradesh would not help reduce population growth in the country. This would happen only after creating awareness among women, and education is the only way to create awareness among women, he contended, adding that once they are aware of it, the population will automatically come down.