Latest news with #SECC2011
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.
Indian Express
02-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
SECC of 2011: When caste data was collected but not published
The most recent data on the populations of individual castes and tribes in India were collected between 2011 and 2013 as part of the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC), 2011, an exercise that followed the Census of 2011. The SECC collected data on a range of parameters, parts of which were published in 2016. But the data on caste populations, other than the total numbers of SCs and STs, was not made public. The wartime Census of 1941 collected data on individual castes, which were, however, not released. Censuses in independent India have never collected disaggregated caste data. As such, the most recent publicly available data on caste populations at the national level are from the 1931 Census, which will serve as the baseline for the caste data that the government has now decided to collect as part of the upcoming, pandemic-delayed Census 2021. SECC 2011 & Census 2011 SECC 2011 was a study of socio-economic status of rural and urban households, and allowed the ranking of households based on predefined parameters. The Union Ministry of Rural Development began the SECC on June 29, 2011 through a nationwide door-to-door enumeration exercise. It was mainly carried out in 2011 and 2012, but in a few states, enumeration and verification went on until 2013. The data, which were to be used for policy, research, and the implementation of various development programs, were compiled from 24 lakh enumeration blocks, each containing around 125 households. The caste census was under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Registrar General of India (RGI) and Census Commissioner of India. Census 2011 was carried out before the SECC, between February 9 and February 28, 2011. Personal data collected in the population Census are confidential. But all personal information in SECC is open for use by government departments to grant and/ or restrict benefits to households. Questions in exercises COMMON QUESTIONS: Many questions were common to the Household Schedule of the population Census — which collects data on broad demographic characteristics and economic activities of households and their members — and SECC 2011. These included questions on gender, marital status, religion, literacy, date of birth, and relationship to the head of the family. However, the SECC 2011 sought some additional specific details on economic conditions. (See below) HOUSEHOLD SCHEDULE: The questionnaire for the Household Schedule in Census 2011 had 29 questions. They sought information on mother tongue, other languages known, migration characteristics and reasons for migration, surviving children (daughters and sons), children ever born alive, and number of children born alive over the previous year, among other things. DISABILITY & ILLNESS: The questionnaire for the Household Schedule only asked about disability. The SECC sought more details on the nature of the disability — sight, hearing, speech, movement, mental retardation, mental illness, multiple disability, other disability — as also additional information about diseases such as cancer, TB, and leprosy. Specific caste groups The Household Schedule 2011 asked if the person belonged to a Scheduled Caste (SC) or a Scheduled Tribe (ST), but not the name of the caste or tribe within the larger SC/ ST tent. It did not ask respondents if they belonged to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) or to the 'general category'. The SECC sought disaggregated details of caste. It asked for the respondents' 'Caste/ Tribe Status', choosing from 'SC' (Code 1), 'ST' (Code 2), 'Other' (Code 3), and 'No Caste/ Tribe' (Code 4), and for the 'Name of Caste/ Tribe' if the respondent belonged to any of the first three categories. The SECC clarified that 'SC can be only among the Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists', while 'ST can be from any'. This follows from a Government Order from 1990, which says: 'No person who professes a religion different from the Hindu, the Sikh or the Buddhist religion shall be deemed to be a member of Scheduled Caste.' Additional details in SECC ECONOMIC STATUS: The SECC asked for information on housing/ dwelling, such as ownership and the predominant material of wall and roof (grass/ bamboo/ wood/ mud/ brick/ stone, etc). It also collected information on household amenities such as the source of drinking water and lighting (electricity/ kerosene/ solar etc), latrines, waste water outlets, and availability of a separate kitchen, and on assets such as refrigerator, telephone/ mobile phone, computer, motorised vehicles, ACs, and washing machines. IN URBAN AREAS: The SECC sought the names of both father and mother, and main source of income — from begging/ ragpicking to street vending; domestic, construction, shop, transport, etc work; to 'non-work' (pension/ rent/ interest) and no income. IN RURAL AREAS: The SECC sought to know if any member in a household belonged to a primitive tribal group, was a legally released bonded labourer, or a manual scavenger. It collected details of the main source of household income — cultivation, manual casual labourer, foraging, begging, etc — and of land ownership and availability of mechanised agricultural equipment, etc.
