“If we try to put caste under the carpet, it will menacingly raise its head.”
— Nancharaiah Merugumala, journalist
🔍 What Is a Caste Census?
caste census is the systematic counting of individuals in a population according to their caste identity. While Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are routinely enumerated in the decennial Census of India, the same is not true for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) or upper castes.
🏛️ Constitutional and Legal Backdrop
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Article 340 | Mandates the appointment of a commission to investigate the conditions of SEBCs |
| 102nd Amendment (2018) | Gave powers to the Centre to notify OBCs |
| 127th Amendment (2021) | Restored the States’ power to maintain their own OBC lists |
Why it matters: The Supreme Court’s 2021 ruling curtailed state powers over OBC reservations. The 127th Amendment reversed this, but did not address the 50% reservation cap.
⚖️ Why Is Everyone Talking About the Caste Census Now
- Legal Inconsistencies: OBC reservations exist, but there’s no official data on OBC population.
- Political Demand: States like Bihar, Maharashtra, and Odisha are demanding a caste census.
- Public Policy Blindspot: Social justice policies are designed in an information vacuum.
📜 A Quick History of Caste-Based Enumeration in India
| The last official caste-based census conducted under British India | Event |
|---|---|
| 1931 | Mandal Commission—Estimated 52% of the population as OBC |
| 1953 | Kaka Kalelkar Commission—2,399 castes identified as “backward” |
| 1980 | National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) was established |
| 1989 | VP Singh govt. attempts Mandal implementation |
| 1993 | No OBC enumeration included in the Census 2021 draft |
| 2011 | Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) launched but never published |
| 2021 | No OBC enumeration included in Census 2021 draft |
🧭 Key Fact: No caste data (beyond SC/ST) has been published officially since 1931.
🌐 Map: States Demanding Caste Census
(Insert a highlighted map here of Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Jharkhand with demand timelines)
🔥 The 50% Quota Debat
| State | Current Reservation % |
|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu | 69% |
| Maharashtra | 52% |
| Jharkhand | 60% |
| Rajasthan | 54% |
| Andhra Pradesh | 66% |
🛑 Legal cap: The 1992 Indra Sawhney judgment (Mandal verdict) capped reservation at 50%. However, the 103rd Constitutional Amendment (EWS quota) has already breached this.
📣 Who’s Supporting the Caste Census?
| Stakeholder | Position |
|---|---|
| Bihar Leaders (All-party delegation) | Strongly in favour |
| Sharad Pawar (NCP) | Claims OBCs are being cheated |
| NCBC, Social Justice Ministry | Advocated for OBC enumeration |
| Sociologists (Satish Deshpande, Yogendra Yadav) | Argue caste census is essential for equality |
| Public Intellectuals | Say it’s a prerequisite for rational policy-making |
⚖️ The Arguments: For vs Against a Caste Census
| Supporters Say | Opponents Argue |
|---|---|
| It helps correct underrepresentation in jobs & education | Caste should be abolished, not counted |
| Enables evidence-based policy | Might lead to caste-based divisions |
| Promotes transparency | Will intensify reservation demands |
| Reveals actual population share | Creates political complications |
🎯 Key Insight: Critics argue that caste will disappear if we stop acknowledging it. Sociologists counter that caste pervades every aspect of life—ignoring it is denial, not progress.
🧩 Why the Current OBC Policy Is Incomplete Without a Census
- No headcount: OBCs have reservations, but no actual population count.
- Intra-OBC inequality: Dominant OBCs like Yadavs, Kurmis often corner benefits.
- Sub-categorization efforts: E.g., Bihar’s ABCD classification, still inadequate.
Suggested Visual:
📊 Bar graph comparing educational attainment, government employment, and income levels across sub-castes (Yadavs, Koeris, EBCs, etc.) within OBCs.
🌍 International Perspective
| Asks about ethnic background in the census | Practice |
|---|---|
| USA | Enumerates by race and ethnicity since 1790 |
| UK | Asks about ethnic background in census |
| South Africa | Race-based data collection used for affirmative action |
| Brazil | Uses racial categories to shape public policy |
🔎 Lesson: Democracies use social classification not to divide, but to address historic injustices.
🧠 The Real Issue: Who Controls the Numbers?
🧮 A caste census could reveal:
- OBCs = Majority (as per Mandal, 52%)
- Upper Castes = Minority (but wield disproportionate economic, political power)
🎯 A caste census challenges the narrative that “general category” = majority.
🧠 Expert Speak
“Among the OBCs there are huge disparities… the advanced OBCs pocket most of the benefits. A caste census will help design better policies.”
— Nancharaiah Merugumala
“A caste census is not just about counting, it’s about knowing how every group is faring — education, jobs, assets, and life expectancy.”
— Frontline Article Summary
📌 What’s at Stake?
| Stake | Impact of Caste Census |
|---|---|
| Social justice | Allows for better targeted affirmative action |
| Political representation | Reshapes constituency boundaries, ticket allocation |
| Resource allocation | Equitable public spending based on need |
| National unity | Recognizing diversity promotes inclusion |
🧭 The Road Ahead: What Needs to Be Done?
- Include caste column in the Census 2026 or earlier.
- Make SECC data public — even with errors, it’s a starting point.
- Establish sub-categorization within OBCs to address internal inequality.
- Ensure transparency — results should be open and accessible.
- Frame data-informed policies — from education to employment.
📌 Final Word
A caste census is not about deepening divisions. It’s about understanding the lived realities of India’s people. Without data, justice is a guessing game. In a country where caste defines access to opportunity, ignoring it in official statistics is not neutrality — it’s negligence.
🧾 TL;DR — Key Takeaways
| ✅ What We Know | ❓ What We Don’t Know |
|---|---|
| SC/ST are counted in every Census | OBCs and upper castes are not |
| Reservations exist for OBCs | Actual OBC population is unknown |
| Many States want a caste census | Centre remains evasive |
| Affirmative action needs data | Census 2021 skipped caste again |
📥 Join the Conversation
Do you support the idea of a caste census in India? Should we prioritize social equity over political discomfort?
Let us know in the comments. Share this post if you believe that data = dignity. 📊✊
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