Syllabus: GS2/Polity & Governance
Context
- Ladakh will become the first place in independent India to enumerate caste as part of a regular Census in the Census 2027.
About
- Ladakh and the other snow-bound areas are being surveyed months ahead of the rest of India because of geography and weather.
- These regions are classified as “snow-bound non-synchronous areas,” where door-to-door enumeration during the usual February window becomes difficult.
What is the Census?
- The Census refers to a periodic and systematic collection of demographic, economic, and social data of a population within a specific region.
- It provides crucial data that governments, businesses, researchers, and policymakers use for various purposes such as planning public services, allocating funding, and making informed decisions.
- Conducted By: The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
- Census 2027: Until the 2011 Census, data was collected on paper schedules, with layout map sketches prepared manually. These paper records were later digitised through scanning, a process that was both time-consuming and prone to inconsistencies.
- In the 2027 census, Digital Layout Maps and the geo-tagging of all buildings will be prepared within each Houselisting Block (HLB).
- Both phases of the Census i.e. houselisting and population enumeration will be completed between April 1, 2026 and February 28, 2027.
- The second phase will also count the population by caste for the first time in Independent India.
Census in India
- The Census in India has been conducted regularly since 1871. The first complete Census was conducted in 1881.
- Constitutional Mandate: The Census of India is conducted under the provisions of the Census Act of 1948, which empowers the Government of India to conduct periodic population surveys.
- Frequency: The Census of India is conducted decennially, meaning it takes place every ten years. The most recent censuses were conducted in 2011.
Caste Based Census
- Caste Based Census: It involves enumerating the population based on their caste affiliations during the national census. This data is used to understand the socio-economic status of different caste groups, identify disparities, and design policies for affirmative action.
- Background: In 2011, the government undertook the first-ever Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC); however, it was never made public.
- There were many anomalies in the caste data as a large section of the population chose different ways to identify their castes.
- That’s why Census 2027 is being called the first caste enumeration within the regular Census since Independence.
- Constitutional Recognition: Post-independence, the Constitution institutionalised affirmative action through Articles 16(4) and 340, recognising the socio-economic backwardness of certain groups.
- However, these classifications were often based on “expert assessments” rather than empirical data, as seen with the Mandal Commission.
- While repeated calls for a national caste Census did not materialise, Bihar conducted its own caste based census in 2023.
Last Caste Based Census Data
- The 1931 Census is widely regarded as the last comprehensive caste count whose findings were published before Independence.
- After 1947, subsequent Censuses continued to record Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes but stopped enumerating other caste groups.
- As a result, the 1931 figures became the default reference point for any discussion of India’s caste composition, including estimates of the Other Backward Classes population.
Arguments in the Favour of the Caste Based Census
- Accurate Data for Targeted Welfare: It can provide precise data on the socio-economic conditions of different caste groups, allowing the government to tailor welfare programs effectively for marginalized communities.
- Identify Disparities: It helps identify existing inequalities in education, employment, and access to resources.
- Strengthen Affirmative Action: It helps ensure that affirmative action policies like reservations are based on accurate and updated data, ensuring fair representation for underrepresented communities.
- Social Justice: The census could push for better policies for upliftment, enhancing social justice for historically disadvantaged groups.
- Policy Evaluation and Reform: The data could be used to assess the impact of existing policies on different caste groups, leading to better policy reforms and improved governance.
Arguments Against the Caste Based Census
- Perpetuation of Caste Divisions: It might reinforce caste identities, potentially deepening social divisions and promoting discrimination instead of fostering unity.
- Focus on Caste Over Development: Critics argue that focusing on caste may divert attention from more universal issues like poverty, education, and healthcare, which affect all communities.
- Inaccurate Representation: Some believe that caste-based data may be inaccurate due to the fluidity of caste identities and the reluctance of people to disclose their caste openly.
- Risks to National Integration: Some fear that caste-based enumeration could undermine national integration by creating a sense of competition among groups, rather than promoting a cohesive national identity.
Conclusion
- Caste enumeration has been included into the main Census itself, rather than run as a standalone survey the way the SECC was in 2011.
- The task of converting individual, open-ended caste responses into clean, standardised data remains the central challenge as it was in 2011.
- Census 2027 would give India its first official, nationwide caste-wise population count within a regular Census since Independence, one likely to carry weight in future debates over welfare policy, political representation and reservations.
Source: TH
