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The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
NCBC submits pending annual reports for 2022–24 to President
The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has submitted its Annual Reports for 2022–23 and 2023–24 to President Droupadi Murmu, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said in a statement on Friday (May 30, 2025) The reports were presented to the President on Thursday (May 29, 2025) by NCBC Chairperson Hansraj Gangaram Ahir and Commission Member Bhuvan Bhushan Kamal. As per its constitutional mandate, the NCBC is required to submit these reports annually, reviewing the implementation of safeguards for communities classified as Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The Commission is also empowered to recommend measures that the Union and State governments ought to take for the 'protection, welfare, and socio-economic development' of these communities. While the submission to the President is part of the regular process, the reports are made public only after they are laid in Parliament, accompanied by Action-Taken Reports (ATRs). The last NCBC report that was laid in Parliament was its consolidated tenure report for the period 2019–2022. The latest submissions follow a considerable delay. Officials familiar with the process explained that the compilation of such reports involves collecting data from various State governments, which often leads to delays. Furthermore, tabling the reports in Parliament is contingent on the preparation of ATRs by different governments, adding to the time taken. As The Hindu reported earlier this year, the National Commissions for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) and Scheduled Tribes (NCST) had also not submitted their Annual Reports for 2023–24 and 2024–25 as of last month. The NCSC's 2022–23 report, though submitted to the President in February 2024, is still awaiting tabling in Parliament. In the case of the NCST, five reports covering the years 2018–19 to 2022–23 have been submitted to the President but are yet to be laid in the House.
The Print
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Caste census decision well-thought-out, to give clarity in welfare schemes: OBC rights body chief
'This is what people wanted and the government has heard them,' the rights body chief told reporters while emphasising that the decision was aligned with a broader 'long-term plan for social justice'. Extolling the Narendra Modi government and expressing confidence that the dispensation would conduct the complex exercise with integrity, he said it was a 'long-awaited step' towards fulfilling people's aspirations for social justice. New Delhi, May 3 (PTI) National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) chairperson Hansraj Gangaram Ahir on Saturday said the Centre's 'well-thought-out' caste census decision was arrived at after much deliberations, and it would bring clarity in framing welfare schemes. In a major policy shift, the government has announced that the next decadal census will include caste enumeration for the first time since Independence. Cutting across party lines, several leaders welcomed the move and called for early steps to conduct the exercise, which is expected to reshape the country's socio-economic and political landscape. 'The caste census decision was a well-thought-out and arrived at after much deliberations. Had it been a political move, it would have been brought before the election,' Ahir said. It marks a significant milestone for OBC welfare and will help bring 'clarity' while designing schemes for their benefit. The NCBC chairperson took potshots at the previous government's attempt to collect caste data' in the 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census, claiming the exercise was marred by procedural failures. The Congress-led UPA government had failed to compile a comprehensive list of castes and used a flawed proforma which rendered the exercise ineffective, Ahir claimed. With the government's decision seen by many as a political manoeuvring, several parties have sought to claim bragging rights while terming the announcement amid heightened cross-border tensions triggered by the April 22 Pahalgam massacre a 'diversionary tactic' and an attempt at headlines management. The BJP countered the allegations, saying it has exposed the difference between the Centre's 'true intentions' and the 'empty sloganeering' of the opposition parties. PTI UZM NSD NSD This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Hindu
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Caste Census: NCBC chief says 2011 survey proforma riddled with errors, mistake was to not list castes first
One of the primary failings of the 2011 Socio Economic and Caste Census conducted by the then United Progressive Alliance government was that the proforma for it was riddled with errors and the government had not bothered to create a list of castes across the country, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, Chairperson of the National Commission for Backward Classes said on Friday (May 2, 2025). Mr. Ahir said, 'This is why citizens entered whatever they wanted in the field of caste and the survey ended up showing lakhs and lakhs of castes, which is an absurdity. There should be a list of castes first.' While Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes across the country have been enumerated in every decadal Census in independent India, the forthcoming Census with caste enumeration will be the first time an opportunity will arise for the country's Other Backward Classes to be enumerated. Mr. Ahir told The Hindu on Friday, 'The government has taken a very well-thought decision on the caste enumeration. This is what the people wanted, and the government has heard them. It was not rushed and is part of its long-term plan for social justice. The task of listing all castes and enumerating them is a challenging one but I have full confidence that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will carry this out honestly and correctly.' The Hindu reported earlier that anthropologists and populations scientists, within and outside the government, have stressed on the importance of listing out castes before enumeration to avoid the same mistakes made in the 2011 caste census. Apart from the 1931 Census of India, which recorded over 4,147 castes and sub-castes, there is no comprehensive repository of all castes and communities across the country. The only public resource compiled by a government agency comes from the People of India project of the Anthropological Survey of India, which had tabulated 4,635 'communities', including SC, ST, and OBC groups and General category castes and communities. Mr. Ahir said, 'It will be a long process to compile the castes, create the correct proforma, and enumerate them. There may be errors but there is no reason to believe that this government will not address these issues as and when they come up. I am confident that this attempt will be streamlined for accuracy.' The NCBC chief, who derives his constitutional authority from the 102nd Constitutional Amendment brought in by the Narendra Modi government, added, 'The decision to enumerate castes follows a series of decisions the government has taken for the benefit of Backward Classes, including the Constitutional amendment to give NCBC constitutional status.'
Indian Express
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
SECC 2011 didn't follow sound process, lakhs of groups noted, upcoming census will be streamlined: Backward classes panel chief Ahir
As the Centre announced a new caste census, National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) chairperson Hansraj Ahir has raised questions over how the 2011 socio-economic caste census (SECC) was conducted. A former Union minister, Ahir's comments are significant as he heads NCBC, which safeguards the rights of socially and economically backward classes (SEBC), looks into complaints, and advises the government on the group's welfare. The body received constitutional status in 2018 under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Ahir believes that the recently announced caste census by the Centre would be 'more streamlined' compared to 2011. 'The Proforma or forms used during the 2011 Census were not sound, and the survey eventually ended up only being an economic one as caste data was excluded,' Ahir told The Indian Express. 'Lakhs of caste groups were noted during the survey as people even mentioned their village names, and gotra (lineage or clan) as caste groups, and it became a mess,' he said. 'There was no firm stand taken by the government of the day. They did not follow the word they had given in Parliament,' he added. The 2011 survey was carried out under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Ahir, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Maharashtra, was a member of Lok Sabha at that time. 'Back in 2011, I was a Member of Parliament and had actively taken feedback from the ground on the SECC survey. It was full of gaps. Moreover, I also had the opportunity to handle the matter later on as Minister of State for Home Affairs, and hence I am aware that the SECC data was not carried out properly. Those who went for enumeration were not completely trained for the exercise, and gaps in the overall process reflected in the outcome,' Ahir said. The 2011 Census was followed by SECC 2011, under which data on individual castes and tribes was collected between 2011 and 2013. Findings of parts of the survey, which included several parameters, were published in 2016. While, total number of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was released, data on caste populations was never made public. 'I believe the government has thought through its decision, and the upcoming caste census would be streamlined and transparent,' he said. Even though the government has announced its decision to carry out a caste census, it has not specified a timeline as yet. An important function of NCBC, headed by Ahir, is to scrutinise state government proposals to add caste groups to the central list of the Other Backward Classes, so that they benefit from reservations in central government jobs and educational institutions. State governments have to back their proposals with socio-economic and educational data to satisfy the commission on the backwardness of communities. The commission then vets the data and recommends it to the Centre for their approval. Subsequently, the Centre then notifies the recommended list of castes.
New Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
With national caste census announced, CM may change tactics on Karnataka report
BENGALURU: The Union Government's announcement on Wednesday that The two dominant communities have termed the census 'unscientific' and demanded a fresh survey to determine populations of communities. They have argued that the state's caste census is decade old and obsolete. For the national caste census, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) is likely to take up the task as caste is included in the national census, experts said. It is to be seen whether NCBC commissions the census to the state backward classes commission, they added. In the changed scenario, the Siddaramaiah cabinet may keep aside caste-wise population figures and debate on the data on the status of communities. A special cabinet meeting was scheduled for May 2 to discuss the caste census, but the meeting has been postponed indefinitely. The April 17 special cabinet meeting, called specifically to discuss caste census, remained inconclusive as ministers refused to accept the report. Siddaramaiah then asked them to go through specific data on the status of communities, sources said. Out of 41 volumes, data nine throws light on the status of communities including the political aspect of communities. Siddaramaiah asked officials to furnish exhaustive data on it to ministers. 'More than the population of communities which became a contentious issue, the debate on the status of communities is more important,' a Siddaramaiah sympathiser said. This will help the CM defend the commission's recommendation to increase the quota for Veerashaiva Lingayats from 4 to 8% under 3B category and 3 to 7% for Vokkaligas under 3A. State's backward classes commissions in the past had recommended taking away quota from the socially and educationally forward communities in the state. The Article 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution allows states to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes Political scientist Prof Sandeep Shastri recalled that the Havanuru commission had recommended taking away the reservation for Veerashaiva-Lingayats and Vokkaligas, whereas the Venkatswamy commission had recommended taking away the Veerashaiva-Lingayat quota. After 1956, these two communities constituted a majority of MLAs in all assemblies, he pointed out. 'Caste is an important political identity in modern India and it may not have anything to do with the traditional ritual and hierarchy it represents. Though of course, there are forms of injustice still continued, but today in politics caste is an important identity which everyone uses for their advantage and for their group consolidations, as a result caste has become an identity and it's important for caste leaders to emphasise on how large and significant their caste group is. Caste group leaders would like to emphasise the strength and importance of their group and their strategic relevance,' he analysed.
