Census: 6 months to go, Govt explores how to count caste, Pg3

Key Highlights:

• The Registrar General of India (RGI) is deliberating the methodology for caste enumeration in the upcoming Census, which is six months away.
• Two primary options are under consideration: an open-ended format for respondents or a restricted drop-down menu of recognized castes.
• The open-ended approach risks repeating issues from the 2011 Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC), which recorded over 46 lakh distinct caste names.
• The drop-down menu proposal faces resistance from the RSS, which fears it would reinforce British-era caste architecture.
• Caste enumeration will be conducted concurrently with the population enumeration phase of the Census.

Detailed Insights:

• The 2011 SECC failed to yield usable caste data due to poor quality, lack of a standardized caste registry, and operational flaws.
• The 2011 SECC generated 46.7 lakh distinct caste names, significantly more than the 4,147 castes recorded in the 1931 Census.
• The Union government ultimately withheld the raw caste data collected during the 2011 SECC.
• Currently, the Census only enumerates castes for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), with others recorded as 'Others'.
• The proposed drop-down menu would combine Central and state caste lists, potentially including a separate category for Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
• The RSS argues that British Census operations rigidified fluid caste identities, thereby weakening broader Hindu social cohesion.
• Despite the complexities, the government is committed to conducting caste enumeration as promised.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Census: A comprehensive official count of a population, including demographic and social information, conducted periodically.
• Caste Enumeration: The process of collecting and recording data related to caste identities within a population survey.
• Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC): A large-scale survey conducted in India to collect data on socio-economic status and caste affiliations.
• Registrar General of India (RGI): The government authority responsible for conducting the decennial Census of India and demographic surveys.