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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Caste census to boost social justice, not division: NCSC Chairperson
Nixing insinuations that caste enumeration would create chasms in society, National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Chairperson Kishor Makwana said the data gathered would serve as a foundation for policy decisions and strengthen social justice. It will help uplift the marginalised backward communities, he told PTI in an interview. With the BJP-led NDA government deciding to include caste enumeration in the next census, Makwana welcomed the move, saying that unlike in 2011, "definite figures would be available" that would ensure proportionate access to welfare schemes. The UPA government conducted the Socio-Economic and Caste Census in 2011, which was the first attempt since 1931 to collect caste data nationwide. However, the caste data from SECC-2011 was never fully released or utilised. Rejecting concerns that the caste census could lead to sectarian divisions, Makwana said, "This will not create any division based on caste. Rather, it will strengthen social justice." "It will uplift backward castes and strengthen all three aspects -- social, political, and economic -- of Babasaheb Ambedkar's dream for the Scheduled Caste community." The caste census will provide accurate numbers that will serve as a foundation for policy decisions and target beneficiaries of schemes such as the Mudra Yojana in a much better manner, the NCSC chairperson said. "It will ensure that those who have remained deprived, finally get their due." Makwana clarified the NCSC would not be directly involved in the enumeration process but would play a critical role in post-census policy framing. "We don't have a role in the data collection itself. But after the data is out, the commission will have a role in ensuring the Scheduled Castes get their due share based on proportion. In that sense, this is a major step toward social justice," he said. Lauding the central Cabinet's decision, the NCSC chairperson said the caste census aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to uplift the last person in society, both socially and economically. "This decision takes that vision forward. Those who have been left behind will now be empowered," he said, adding that accurate data would ensure proportionate access to welfare schemes. "With definite population data, communities will get what they deserve in proportion. Right now, benefits are being given based on estimates. Once we have numbers, proper policy interventions can be made," he said. Noting that the last caste census was held in 1931 and updated data has been lacking, Makwana said, "We've been working on the assumption that SCs form 7 per cent of the population. But without verified data, many deprived sections remain unaccounted for." "The new census will bring detailed data, not just for the SCs, but also for sub-castes within Muslim and Christian communities," he said. Makwana also criticised political parties that previously opposed the caste census, saying they didn't include caste data in the seven censuses conducted since 1951 because their intentions were not right". On the commission's broader activities, the chairperson said the NCSC has begun conducting state-level hearings, which weren't done earlier. "We held hearings in Punjab and Rajasthan. We are going among the people. Legal provisions alone won't solve caste-based issues; there has to be a sense of empathy and emotional connection in society as well," he said. Raising concerns about the condition of Dalits in Punjab, Makwana said, "Students are not getting scholarships, many youths have fallen into drug addiction, dropout rates are high, and even government officials are not getting benefits of schemes.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Caste census not divisive, it will strengthen social justice: Scheduled Caste rights panel chief
Nixing insinuations that caste enumeration would create chasms in society, National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Chairperson Kishor Makwana said the data gathered would serve as a foundation for policy decisions and strengthen social justice. It will help uplift the marginalised backward communities, he told PTI in an interview. With the BJP-led NDA Government deciding to include caste enumeration in the next census, Mr. Makwana welcomed the move, saying that unlike in 2011, 'definite figures would be available' that would ensure proportionate access to welfare schemes. The UPA Government conducted the Socio-Economic and Caste Census in 2011, which was the first attempt since 1931 to collect caste data nationwide. However, the caste data from SECC-2011 was never fully released or utilised. Rejecting concerns that the caste census could lead to sectarian divisions, Mr. Makwana said, 'This will not create any division based on caste. Rather, it will strengthen social justice.' 'It will uplift backward castes and strengthen all three aspects — social, political, and economic — of Babasaheb Ambedkar's dream for the Scheduled Caste community.' The caste census will provide accurate numbers that will serve as a foundation for policy decisions and target beneficiaries of schemes such as the Mudra Yojana in a much better manner, the NCSC chairperson said. 'It will ensure that those who have remained deprived, finally get their due.' Mr. Makwana clarified the NCSC would not be directly involved in the enumeration process but would play a critical role in post-census policy framing. 'We don't have a role in the data collection itself. But after the data is out, the commission will have a role in ensuring the Scheduled Castes get their due share based on proportion. In that sense, this is a major step toward social justice,' he said. Lauding the central Cabinet's decision, the NCSC chairperson said the caste census aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to uplift the last person in society, both socially and economically. 'This decision takes that vision forward. Those who have been left behind will now be empowered,' he said, adding that accurate data would ensure proportionate access to welfare schemes. 'With definite population data, communities will get what they deserve in proportion. Right now, benefits are being given based on estimates. Once we have numbers, proper policy interventions can be made,' he said. Noting that the last caste census was held in 1931 and updated data has been lacking, Mr. Makwana said, 'We've been working on the assumption that SCs form 7 per cent of the population. But without verified data, many deprived sections remain unaccounted for.' 'The new census will bring detailed data, not just for the SCs, but also for sub-castes within Muslim and Christian communities,' he said. Mr. Makwana also criticised political parties that previously opposed the caste census, saying they didn't include caste data in the seven censuses conducted since 1951 because their intentions were not right'. On the Commission's broader activities, the Chairperson said the NCSC has begun conducting State-level hearings, which weren't done earlier. 'We held hearings in Punjab and Rajasthan. We are going among the people. Legal provisions alone won't solve caste-based issues; there has to be a sense of empathy and emotional connection in society as well,' he said. Raising concerns about the condition of Dalits in Punjab, Mr. Makwana said, 'Students are not getting scholarships, many youths have fallen into drug addiction, dropout rates are high, and even government officials are not getting benefits of schemes.'
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
UP plans to build 60 lakh houses under PM Awas Yojana-Rural
Lucknow: UP plans to construct over 60 lakh houses under the Centre's ambitious PM Awas Yojana-Rural in the 2025-26 fiscal year. Once approved by the Centre, this will be almost twice what the UP govt constructed in 2024-25 financial year—around 37 lakh houses. The fresh projection comes amid the Centre's decision to extend the deadline for the assessment of housing units until May 15. The survey to assess the housing requirement started in Dec 2024 and ended in April 2025. During this period, the department received applications for over 54 lakh houses. Experts said the scheme was being leveraged by the Yogi Adityanath govt to bolster its footprint in rural areas, which are electorally crucial. Launched in Nov 2016, the PMAY-Rural scheme aims to provide housing for the poorest segments of society. Beneficiaries are selected through a three-stage validation process that includes Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC-2011) and Awas Plus (2018) surveys, Gram Sabha approvals and geo-tagging. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Most Remarkable Oscar Outfits Ever Interesticle Undo At least 60% of the target is earmarked for SC and ST households. Officials said the scheme has contributed to reducing poverty, improving living standards and fostering socio-economic development. During a recent review meeting, Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, who holds the portfolio of rural development , emphasised the need for the govt to conduct a door-to-door survey to identify eligible families. The fresh data includes over 16 lakh beneficiaries who conducted a self-survey. Officials said surveyors have been told to conduct thorough verification to ensure that no eligible person is left out. Sources said rural development commissioner GS Priyadarshi sent a letter in this regard to all the DMs and chief development officers, instructing them to complete the survey work by May 15. Regarding the Awas Plus survey, instructions have been given for extensive publicity so that all people living in rural areas are aware of it. The process is being reviewed daily at the headquarters level, and instructions are being given to all CDOs and project directors of the district rural development agency from time to time.
Hans India
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
BJP mocks CM Siddaramaiah on caste census advice to Centre
The Karnataka BJP, on Thursday, criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on his caste census remarks, saying that the exercise done by the Congress-led government was a model for how not to conduct the census. Earlier, CM Siddaramaiah said that his government was fully prepared to extend any guidance to the Union government on the caste census. R. Ashoka, the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, stated, 'Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, your statement suggesting that Karnataka's model should be adopted for the caste census is truly laughable. A report whose original copy has gone missing, which lacks even the signatures of the secretaries, where applications were filled by school children paid five to ten rupees per form, where houses with dogs were skipped during enumeration, and which even after ten years remains unaccepted - your caste census report stands as a textbook example of how not to conduct a caste census.' 'Your claim that the BJP has always opposed the caste census is an outright lie. In 2010, the then Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the late Sushma Swaraj, had formally conveyed to the UPA government that the BJP supported, including caste enumeration in the 2011 census. The BJP had also supported the unanimous resolution passed in Parliament on the matter,' Ashoka pointed out. However, instead of conducting a proper caste census, the then Congress government carried out a flawed Social-Economic Caste Census - 2011 (SECC-2011). Like Karnataka's caste census, this too suffered from poor planning and ineffective execution, leading to its complete failure. Despite spending crores of rupees, the findings were never officially released. This reveals the Congress party's true commitment towards the caste census, Ashoka stated. 'The BJP has never misused the caste census as an electoral weapon. When in power, we demonstrated commitment by deciding to carry out the caste census. We did not indulge in petty politics by shedding crocodile tears while in opposition and ignoring the issue when in power. This reflects our genuine dedication to social justice. BJP's only concern regarding the caste census has always been that it should not be misused for political attacks,' Ashoka underlined. 'The caste census that the Central government is now set to conduct will be carried out in a highly transparent, scientific, and purposeful manner - not manipulated for political gain as your Congress government did by twisting data to suit your needs,' Ashoka stated, addressing CM Siddaramaiah. Karnataka's caste census process serves only as an example of how not to conduct a caste census; there are no aspects worth emulating from it, he reiterated. Welcoming the decision for caste census by the centre, CM Siddaramaiah stated on Wednesday, 'Just as the BJP initially mocked our five guarantee schemes and later adopted them, the Modi government's decision to implement a caste census proves that Congress' policies are rooted in public welfare. "The Karnataka government's caste-based Social, Economic, and Educational Survey is a robust model. We are fully prepared to extend any guidance or support the Union government may need,' the CM said. CM Siddaramaiah further stated, 'Our government wholeheartedly welcomes the Union government's decision to conduct a caste census along with the national population census. At this moment, I urge the Union government to also carry out a social, economic, and educational survey alongside the census. In Karnataka, we didn't just conduct a caste census - we also gathered data on the social, economic, and educational status of communities. Based on this data, we have taken steps to revise and expand the current reservation policy. I hope the Union government will now follow through with this process as well.'
Hindustan Times
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
What the State must do for the unskilled aged
The Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC-2011) had indicated that over 40 million rural households did not have a 25-year-plus literate person in the household. With one-in-five non-literate households and one-in-four landless agricultural labour households, India must look after a generation of non-literate and unskilled wage labourers as they reach old age. Per capita monthly consumption expenditure at under ₹2,000 (2022-23) in the bottom 20% of families also reminds of households that do not get a dignified survival. With increasing nuclearisation of families even in rural areas, old persons living by themselves on a few days of work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), free food-grains, and a paltry pension, are not uncommon. Older people reporting for MGNREGS work is also a reality in states like Punjab where market wages are high. All this points to the gaps in our social security system and its ability to secure a life of dignity for the old. With time, this need for care is going to get bigger as ageing with higher life expectancy is a reality. Support for the elderly needs holistic attention. Access to cashless secondary and tertiary care under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) is welcome, but access to free medicines, caregivers, primary and palliative care, among others, continue to be a challenge. Effective coverage under PMJAY requires last-mile facilitation through community workers and caregivers as mere enrolment is no guarantee of free cashless service. Old-age pension is a part of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). But, at ₹200- ₹500, the support has remained extremely modest. If states did not provide additional support from their own budgets, the NSAP support would mean little to an old and vulnerable household. Being delinked from the Consumer Price Index, there are no periodic upward revisions. It is time for the Union and state governments to have a dialogue on a living wage support for the elderly in need. Participatory identification of the genuine elderly in need of care by involving women's collectives and local governments may be the best approach to identification. Skilling agricultural labourers works well in a slightly lower age group where a person has many productive working years ahead. For those who have already reached 60 or very nearly there, the option of contributory pension schemes like Atal Pension Yojana is not there. A generation of non-literate, unskilled, ageing families need support from the State and civil society. Experiments with self-help groups of the elderly by the National Rural Livelihood Mission or by HelpAge India have been very effective, and it is time to focus on them. The 100 million women in 10 million women's collectives are an excellent example of social capital leading to diversification of livelihoods on scale. It is time a similar movement for elderly care is built around their social capital with civil society and corporate social responsibility supplementing the efforts of a caring, convergent State. Elderly collectives with community caregivers are the answer for sustainable geriatric care. Women's collectives have attracted the attention of all political parties in the states as they are also seen as active voters whose numbers make a difference. With time, the constituency of 60-plus non-literate, unskilled wanting lives of dignity is going to grow. They too will become an influential group like farmers and women. The elderly need urgent holistic support. They are already in large numbers in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu with lower fertility rates and high life expectancy for some decades. While elderly care does not constitute a separate Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), better care for the elderly will facilitate the achievement of other SDGs such as those on poverty and health care. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin has given some dignity to the old, especially women as homeowners. Given the nuclearisation of households, we need to address the challenge of support for the vulnerable elderly. The urban areas throw up their own challenges in connecting households to public services. Public spaces for social and cultural engagement become very important in the context of the elderly. While some support through old-age homes and elderly care centres is there, given the growing size of the elderly and vulnerable, we will have to scale up our level of operations to be really a caring society. Local governments with flexible resources for community-based care are the way forward. Support for the elderly cannot be through centralised vertical initiatives. They must figure high in the work agendas of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and the Community Resource Persons under the National Rural Livelihood Mission. Mobilisation of the elderly through elderly self-help groups or associations and facilitation of their social activities, with access to civil society support, can go a long way in improving the lives of those in need. Amarjeet Sinha is senior fellow, Centre for Social and Economic Progress. He is also on the governing board of HelpAge India. The views expressed are personal
