Latest news with #SocioEconomicandCasteCensus
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
- 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.
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Caste count: BJP, Congress spar in Rajasthan, experts expect class churn
Jaipur: The union cabinet's approval to include caste enumeration in the upcoming general census has triggered a fierce political contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, with experts viewing it as a potential turning point in India's socio-political landscape. While Congress veteran Ashok Gehlot credited the move to party leader Rahul Gandhi's sustained pressure and framed it as a step toward long-overdue social justice, BJP leader and Rajasthan state president Madan Rathore welcomed the decision but accused the Congress of politicising the issue for electoral gain. Amid the political sparring, experts like political analyst Narayan Bareth and legal voice Satyendra Raghav say the caste census could deepen caste consciousness initially, but ultimately pave the way for a class-based political realignment that could challenge entrenched hierarchies in society and redefines representation in governance. Former Rajasthan chief minister Gehlot said the government was compelled to agree to a caste census under pressure from Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi. 'They (BJP and RSS) used to allege that Congress is trying to divide the society when we raised the demand for a caste census. But now they caved in under pressure,' Gehlot said. As CM, Gehlot did not get any caste survey done in Rajasthan even though Gandhi was raising the issue. Also Read:What is caste census, Modi govt's big announcement? 'It is an important decision. If after 75 years, scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST), other backward classes (OBCs) feel they have not got justice then how long will they remain silent. It should be done in a scientific manner,' he said. He said the government should clarify when the census will start, how it will take place and how long it will take. He also supported Gandhi's call for removal on the 50% cap on reservations. 'Telangana has done a caste survey, which can be a model for the centre to study and replicate,' he said. Welcoming the government decision, Rathore said this shows the government's committment to the values and interests of the society and the country. He added that the Congress had historically opposed the caste census. 'If the caste enumeration is done along with the general census, it will not put any burden. Only one column has to be added in the census form to note down the caste. The Congress on the other hand was pressing exclusively for a caste census that would put a lot of financial burden on the government… Congress and its allies were pressing for the caste census only to use it as a political tool,' he said. Also Read:Next census will include caste enumeration: Govt Rathore said, 'Late prime minister Manmohan Singh had in 2010 assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census would be taken up for consideration in the cabinet… a ministerial committee was also formed. But in the end the Congress only did a survey that is known as Socio Economic and Caste Census.' Analyst Bareth said that the caste census will deepen caste consciousness in society, which will gradually evolve into a broader class-based structure. 'Politically, it will influence voting patterns, leading to a clearer division between forward and backward communities,' he said. Bareth emphasised that over time, people's thinking will shift from caste lines to class lines, which will strengthen the framework of social justice. 'A new and larger political pattern will emerge, driven by class consciousness,' he added. He said that this shift could trigger a collective struggle among marginalized groups. 'India has over 3,000 castes and 25,000 sub-castes. This diversity will create a new churn in society, leading to the formation of new caste alliances and a dynamic political realignment.' Also Read:Annihilating caste in universities and colleges Former additional advocate general Satyendra Raghav said that the caste census will bring sidelined communities into the mainstream and provide them with a new sense of direction. 'There are several communities that currently do not have representation even at the level of government officers. The dominance of a few castes will be re-evaluated, and opportunities will become more inclusive,' he said. Raghav emphasised that the Constitution mandates benefits should reach the truly deserving. 'If one community has already availed its fair share through reservations, then the opportunity should be extended to others in need,' he added.
Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Caste census: Stalled Mandal report to still-born SECC, BJP readies its case against Congress
Having blindsided the Opposition, particularly the Congress, with the announcement of caste enumeration in the Census, the BJP is working on a multi-pronged strategy to counter any projection of this as a vindication of the Opposition's stand. Making the announcement Wednesday, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stressed that while the BJP government had taken the call to count castes in the Census, the Congress at the Centre had dodged this in the past and used it merely as 'a political tool'. BJP sources said that the party's campaign on the caste census move will be centred around this, using different examples to underline its point. 'The exercise will be the first ever caste census post-Independence and, the fact is, it will be under a BJP leadership, despite the Congress and the Gandhis being at the helm of the affairs for decades,' a source said, adding that a Congress-led government's one attempt at this had also come a cropper. 'The UPA government spent around Rs 5,000 crore to conduct a survey (Socio Economic and Caste Census), but could not release the data.' On Thursday, the BJP circulated a letter written by then Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj to UPA Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in 2010, saying her party supported a caste census. 'The party reiterates that caste can be canvassed in the on-going Census/NPR exercise (due in 2011). We agree that caste should be canvassed in such a manner and at such a stage that it does not affect the integrity of the head count (Census),' Swaraj wrote. The UPA government led by Manmohan Singh had chosen to go in for an SECC, delinked from the Census. The BJP will point out that the Modi government's announcement of a caste census was another example of the party's government taking significant reforms to their logical conclusion, the source said, 'be it the GST, direct bank transfers through Aadhaar, the women's reservation Bill or constitutional status for the OBC commission'. BJP leaders also point to the Congress government at the Centre sitting on the Mandal Commission report for a long time, and which, once unveiled under the National Front government led by V P Singh, changed the contours of politics by bringing backward classes to the fore. 'The Congress initiatives in this regard were knee-jerk reactions that lacked determination and conviction,' the source said, adding that now nobody associates these moves with the Congress. 'This time, it will be no different.' The BJP believes the Opposition may clamour to take credit for the caste census decision, but that it doesn't have the firepower to sustain this in the face of the BJP's admittedly larger and stronger publicity network. A BJP leader said: 'The focus of our campaign will be that the Congress lacks the political will and niyat (intention) to go ahead with the reforms it initiated. Basically, the party always deceives people in the name of reforms, but shows no sincerity to bring them about.' On the timing of the announcement – even some BJP leaders admitted to being taken by surprise – the party says it is hardly trying to dodge the Pahalgam attack fallout as alleged by some quarters, but rather conveying a powerful message of 'business as usual'. 'The Modi government has shown to the world that it is going ahead with its business and reform initiatives,' said a senior leader, adding that this is even while pursuing different options to corner Pakistan over the Pahalgam killings. In the immediate future, the BJP believes Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually 'checkmated' the Congress and RJD in context of the Bihar Assembly elections later this year, where caste always dominates the conversation. The source said the BJP could now steer the narrative towards governance and development – issues on which both the Modi government and the JD(U)-led government it is a part of in Bihar hold a position of advantage. Some BJP leaders have in the recent past come out publicly against a caste based census. In July 2021, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said in a written reply in Parliament that it was a policy decision by the government not to enumerate caste-wise population other than SCs and STs. Senior minister Nitin Gadkari has said in the past that he was totally against a caste census. 'A person is not known by their caste, sect, religion, language or sex, but only by their qualities. I told 50,000 people, 'Jo karega jaat ki baat, uske kass ke maarunga laat (Those who talk about caste, will get a tight slap),' he has been quoted as saying. In the Monsoon Session of the current Parliament in July, former Union minister Anurag Thakur caused an uproar when he dismissed Rahul Gandhi 's demand for a caste census, saying: 'Jiski jaat ka pata nahin, woh ganana ki baat karta hai (The person whose caste is not known is talking about a census).' However, leaders are now expected to fall in line, with many pointing to the fact that the government's caste census announcement came a day after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat met Modi at the Prime Minister's residence. There are some in the BJP who believe the caste census move also pushes the Congress on the defensive over the 'Muslim quota' issue – Congress-ruled Karnataka has a provision for the same, but it goes back years and was in place even during the BJP's years in power in the state. As per these leaders, Gandhi must clarify now whether he stands for caste-based quota or religion-based reservation. 'The BJP has always maintained that it is for a caste census, but will not do it for political gains. However, the pertinent question today is whether the Congress will push for Muslim reservation?' a senior BJP leader said. In its manifesto for the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, when it was seeking re-election to power, the Congress had promised nationwide reservation for Muslims in jobs and education. PM Modi has attacked the Congress over this, saying during the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign that as long as he was alive, 'I will not allow the Indian Constitution-mandated reservations for SC/STs and BCs to be distributed to Muslims at any cost'.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Next Steps: Union Cabinet to decide on commission, terms for caste census
The next steps following the announcement of a caste census will involve setting up a commission, with the Union Cabinet expected to take a decision soon on its constitution and terms of reference (ToR), officials aware of the development said. The commission will be responsible for determining the various castes and sub-castes to be included in the upcoming decadal census. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack A Chinese shadow falls on Pahalgam terror attack case probe How India can use water to pressure Pakistan Buzzkill: How India can dissolve the Pakistan problem, not just swat it An alternative route for faster inclusion of caste data could involve using the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011-12. "The government is already using the SECC data for distribution of various schemes and can deploy Artificial Intelligence and big data analytics for further sub-categorising and simplifying the available resources," explained another official. The SECC had identified thousands of castes and sub-castes, but was earlier termed "faulty" when it came to caste enumeration. The survey was conducted after then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census would be considered in the Cabinet. A Group of Ministers was subsequently formed to study the issue. Most political parties had supported the idea of a caste census. According to Article 246 of the Constitution, Census falls under Entry 69 of the Union List in the Seventh Schedule, making it a Union subject. Officials pointed out that in 2018, the Modi government had announced that Census 2021 would include data on OBCs for the first time. "The decision on OBC enumeration ," an official said, "would have impacted 5% of the OBCs classified into 1,257 communities by the Mandal Commission in 1980." However, the enumeration plan was later withdrawn due to the lack of a formal Union Cabinet decision. "This time, the Cabinet has given a decision and will require to include a column for various castes in the Census form by introducing a column for each caste and sub-caste," said another official. Several NDA allies including JD(U), LJP, Apna Dal, and TDP have been consistently demanding a caste-based census . Suggestions have also been received for including sects within religions and adding a separate column for OBCs alongside the existing SC and ST categories. Another recommendation under discussion is the sub-categorisation of caste groupings while calculating their population. The decadal Census 2021, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2024 general elections, is expected to finally be conducted with these expanded parameters.
