Context: The Central government has decided to hold a caste census as part of the next Census exercise. The dates for the next decennial Census exercise, last held in 2011, are yet to be notified by the government.
The last time that India’s entire population was counted by caste was in 1931. Since then, only Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have been counted in the Census exercises.
Relevance of the Topic: Mains- Need For Caste based Census and associated Challenges.
Timeline of Caste based Census:
- Caste census means inclusion of caste-wise tabulation of India’s population in the Census exercise.
- Pre-Independence:
- 1871 Census was the first attempt to measure the population and enumerate caste data across India.
- 1931 Census was the last exercise to enumerate caste data.
- Post-Independence:
- Union of India after Independence, decided as a matter of policy not to enumerate caste wise populations other than SCs and STs.
- Thus, India’s largest caste bloc – Other Backward Classes – have not figured in any census from 1951-2011.
- There is no proper estimate for the population of OBCs, various groups within the OBCs, and others.
- In 1961, the GOI advised States to conduct their own surveys and draw up State-specific OBC lists if they so desired.
- Aftermath of Mandal Commission:
- In 1979, Mandal Commission (Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission) suggested expansion of affirmative action to include other backward classes.
- OBCs, as per 1931 census, amounted to 52% of Indian population. Based on which a 27% reservation was given to the OBCs in 1990.
- Later there appeared demand for introducing the OBC category in the decennial census to count them.
- Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011:
- SECC 2011 was the first caste-based census since 1931.
- It was conducted by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and Ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation in rural and urban areas respectively.
- This was the first time such a comprehensive exercise has been carried out for both rural and urban India, which included caste-wise population data.
- 2011 SECC data, excluding the caste data, was finalised and published by the government.
- Demand being raised to enumerate castes as part of Census 2021 itself. To make available authentic data on caste-wise population and their socio-economic conditions.
What is the need For Caste based Census?
- Estimate change in demography: Present reservations and other welfare scheme entitlements to OBC are still based on the population estimates of 1931
- Bring about social justice: Help governments’ welfare schemes reach the most backward and deprived castes that have been marginalised to date.
- Help rationalise reservation policy as per the need of a specific caste or community: Land fragmentation and decades of agricultural stagnation have turned many upper-caste landowners into marginal farmers. Whereas rising rural wage has benefitted some of the backward classes including Dalits.
- Demand for Reservations: There have been demands to expand OBC reservation (as the present 50% cap is arbitrary) and inclusion of dominant castes like Jats, Kapus, Patidars, Marathas etc. into the OBC category. Often these demands are not based on scientific evidence. Hence, a Caste based socio-economic census will bring out the real picture.
- OBC Sub-categorisation: OBC membership is large and heterogeneous, with vast intra-caste differences in socio-economic conditions. Some better-off groups among OBC castes have cornered a disproportionately large share of seats reserved for OBCs giving rise to the demand for sub-classification of various caste groups among OBCs. The caste-based socio-economic census will help in such classification.
- Assess the impact of Affirmative action: A socioeconomic caste census would help in assessing how far the extension of reservations to OBCs benefited them.
- Identify relative deprivation of some castes.
Concerns against Caste Based Census:
- Subvert India’s anti-caste struggle: Constitution, social reform movements and forces of modernity have long aspired for the annihilation of caste.
- Reinforces Caste Identities: Enumeration of castes might reinforce caste identities prevalent in society.
- Vote bank politics: Caste wise data may be used as a tool for caste-based political mobilisation.
- New demands for Reservation: Numbers about OBCs might provide a new issue to the regional parties to mount pressure on the Centre for an OBC quota in central government jobs and educational institutions.
- Federal concerns: According to the 7th schedule of the Constitution, the Census is in the domain of the Union. Thus, State governments conducting their own caste census is against the constitutional spirit.
Conclusion: While caste-based OBC enumeration is necessary for documenting discrimination, understanding current social- economic conditions of various castes and developing policy to distribute resources. A full caste census might be cumbersome as Indian society is divided into roughly 3,000 castes and 25,000 sub-castes. However, caste as a criterion for the distribution of resources may pose significant risks, including reinforcing caste identities and promoting divisive politics.