• UGI USER
  • Jul 11, 2024
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THE CASE FOR A CASTE CENSUS

Syllabus:

GS 2:

  • Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors.
  • Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the population

Focus:

The call for a caste Census has gained renewed momentum, with multiple states conducting their own caste surveys. The demand for comprehensive caste data collection in the national Census has become a focal point in debates about social justice, representation, and informed policy-making in India..

Source: PTI

Introduction:

  • Mandatory Amendment: The Census Act, 1948 should be amended to make caste enumeration mandatory, ensuring consistent and reliable data collection.
  • Regular Census: Caste data can be collected with the regular Census by adding a few pertinent queries, integrating it into the existing framework.
  • Informed Policy: Accurate data is essential for informed policy making and inclusive development, addressing the needs of historically marginalized groups.
  • Global Examples: Germany’s lack of race data shows the disadvantages of not collecting identity-wise information, as seen with the Afrozensus.
  • Victim Demand: The demand for enumeration typically comes from victims of discrimination, resisted by vested interests aiming to maintain the status quo.
  • Comprehensive Understanding: Measuring caste can lead to a comprehensive understanding of social disparities, enabling targeted interventions.
About Census and SECC

Census in India

Ø  Colonial Origin: Began in 1881 during the colonial period.

Ø  Data Utilization: Used by the government, policymakers, and academics for population capture, resource access, social mapping, and delimitation exercises.

Ø  Criticism: Viewed as a blunt instrument not suited for specialized inquiries.

Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC)

Ø  First Conducted: Initially done in 1931.

Ø  Economic Data: Collects information on the economic status of Indian families in rural and urban areas to identify deprivation indicators.

Ø  Caste Data: Gathers specific caste names to assess economic conditions of different caste groups.

Differences Between Census & SECC

Ø  Purpose: Census provides a general demographic portrait; SECC identifies beneficiaries of state support.

Ø  Confidentiality: Census data is confidential under the Census Act of 1948; SECC data is open for government use to grant or restrict benefits.

History of Caste-based Data Collection in India

Ø  Long History: Caste data was included in censuses up to 1931.

Ø  Post-1951 Shift: Collection of caste data was stopped to move away from divisive approaches and promote national unity.

Ø  Renewed Call: Changing socio-political dynamics and the need for accurate information have led to renewed calls for a caste census

Why a Caste Census?

  • Social Imperative: Caste remains a foundational social construct in India, affecting marriages, residential patterns, and political choices, with only about 5% inter-caste marriages as of 2011-12.
  • Legal Imperative: Constitutionally mandated social justice policies, like reservations, require detailed caste-wise data to be effectively implemented.
  • Administrative Imperative: Data is needed to avoid wrongful inclusions/exclusions and to manage sub-categorization within reserved categories, ensuring fairness.
  • Moral Imperative: Lack of detailed data benefits a small elite, allowing them to disproportionately control resources and power, while marginalized groups remain disadvantaged.
  • Historical Context: British India conducted caste censuses from 1881 to 1931, but post-independence censuses have excluded caste enumeration except for SCs and STs, limiting contemporary understanding.
  • Political Considerations: Caste continues to influence political dynamics, including candidate selection and cabinet formation, necessitating updated data for fair representation.

Arguments Against a Caste Census

  • Socially Divisive: Critics claim it is divisive, but existing social divisions predate census efforts and have persisted for millennia.
  • Administrative Nightmare: Critics argue it’s complex, but India’s experience with enumerating SCs and STs shows it can be managed efficiently.
  • Fuel for Demands: Availability of data would help curb arbitrary demands for increased reservations by providing objective evidence, ensuring policy decisions are data-driven.
  • Government Reluctance: Governments prefer vague data, allowing arbitrary implementation of reservations for electoral considerations, avoiding accountability.
  • Comparative Enumeration: Religion, language, and region are already enumerated, which are as divisive as caste, if not more, demonstrating the feasibility of including caste.
  • Policy Clarity: Detailed caste data would provide clarity in policy formulation and implementation, reducing ambiguities and ensuring targeted support for disadvantaged groups.

OBC Inclusion in Census

  • Constitutional Provisions: Articles 15(4) and 16(4) permit OBC reservations in education and public employment, necessitating updated data for effective implementation.
  • Judicial Demands: The Supreme Court has called for periodic revisions of the OBC list based on empirical data, highlighting the need for regular enumeration.
  • Electoral Reservations: Amendments provide for OBC reservations in local bodies, necessitating caste-wise census data to ensure fair representation.
  • State Efforts: States have tried implementing OBC reservations, but lack of data has led to judicial stays, illustrating the critical need for accurate data.
  • EWS Contrast: The Supreme Court upheld EWS reservations without empirical data, highlighting inconsistency and the importance of data for OBC reservations.
  • Policy Development: Inclusion of OBC data in the census would support more nuanced policy development and address disparities effectively.

How an Attempt at Caste Census Failed

  • 2010 Resolution: A unanimous parliamentary resolution called for caste enumeration in the 2011 Census, reflecting a political consensus on the need for such data.
  • SECC-2011 Failure: Poor design and execution led to a ludicrous figure of 46 lakh castes, and results were never released, showing the need for better planning.
  • Non-Census Execution: Conducted by ministries inexperienced in sociological surveys, leading to flawed data and highlighting the need for expert involvement.
  • Bihar’s Success: The 2023 Bihar caste survey used a predefined list of caste names, producing better results and demonstrating a successful model.
  • Central Reluctance: Despite the 2010 resolution, the government announced in 2021 that caste would not be enumerated in the next Census, showing a disconnect between political resolutions and implementation.
  • Judicial Inconsistency: The Supreme Court’s 2021 dismissal of Maharashtra’s plea for OBC enumeration contradicts its own past rulings, necessitating a review.

Way Forward 

  • Amendment Required: Amend the Census Act, 1948 to make caste enumeration mandatory, ensuring legal backing for comprehensive data collection.
  • Expert Involvement: Enlist sociological experts to create and finalize caste lists specific to each state, ensuring accuracy and relevance.
  • Enhanced Questionnaire: Design a detailed questionnaire to capture sub-caste, caste, larger caste group, and caste surname, providing comprehensive data.
  • Technological Aid: Use internet-enabled devices preloaded with caste details to simplify the enumeration process and ensure accuracy.
  • Judicial Review: Interested states should move the Supreme Court to review its 2021 judgment and ensure caste is enumerated in the next Census, aligning judicial demands with executive action.
  • Informed Policy: Comprehensive caste data will enable informed policy making, ensuring fair representation and targeted support for marginalized groups

Conclusion

Conducting a caste Census is crucial for addressing historical injustices and ensuring inclusive development. Accurate caste data will enable better policy formulation, equitable resource allocation, and fair representation, fostering a more just and balanced society in line with constitutional principles.

Source:The Hindu

Mains Practice Question:

Discuss the significance of conducting a caste Census in India. Highlight the challenges and benefits associated with it, and suggest measures to ensure its effective implementation.

Associated Article:

https://universalinstitutions.com/socio-economic-caste-census-secc-2011/