The caste imperative: On the subject of an updated caste census

Source: The post is based on the article “The caste imperative: On the subject of an updated caste census” published in The Hindu on 20th April 2023.

Syllabus: GS – 2: mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of vulnerable sections.

Relevance: About the demand for an updated caste census.

News: Recently, various political parties are demanding an updated caste census. This highlights an emerging consensus among the political parties on the need for a caste census.

What is the rationale behind the demand for an updated caste census?

Various reasons for demanding an updated caste census include,

-The recent expansion of reservation benefits to economically weaker sections among “forward” castes using income criteria,

–Outdated data is used: The Mandal Commission report of 1980 was based on caste census data of 1931. But that is still remaining as the basis for identifying backwardness and determining the extent of the reservation to the Other Backward Classes,

-There is a need for a comprehensive census that provides data to support, or evaluate existing reservation quotas, or assess demands for reservation policies,

-Such updated data will serve as a legal imperative and allow the government to answer the Supreme Court’s call for quantifiable data.

What are the challenges associated with the Socio-Economic and Caste Census in 2011?

-Issues in defining castes: The criteria government described in 2011 created many concerns associated with the data.

-Recorded data of 46 lakh different castes, sub-castes, caste/clan surnames require adequate breakdown before being used for proper enumeration.

-The survey was conducted without utilising the Census Commissioners and the Office of the Registrar General properly.

What are the challenges in creating an updated caste census?

a) The government has already postponed the long-delayed 2021 Census. This raises the question about the government’s present capacity to conduct an effective caste census, b) There is a risk of objectification of caste identities even though the Constitution seeks to build a casteless society.

What should be done?

An adequate consolidation of caste/sub-caste names into social groups along with the synonymity of the self-identified group names should be done prior to conducting the survey. Enlisting these groups against the OBC/Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes lists for each State.

But addressing socioeconomic inequities through reservation quotas might not make advancement to a truly casteless society.