An alternative caste census method

Caste Enumeration in the upcoming Census

• The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Modi, has decided to conduct caste enumeration in the upcoming Census.

• The caste census is a Union subject listed in the 7th schedule of the Constitution.

State-Level Caste Census Findings

• Bihar caste survey (2023) found that Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically Backward Classes (EBCs) together make up over 63% of the population.

• Scheduled Castes (SC) account for 19.65%, and Scheduled Tribes (SC) for 1.68%.

• The general category comprises only 15.52%.

Case Study in Telangana

• Backward Classes (BCs) constituted 56.33% of the population in Telangana’s 2025 survey.

• BC Muslims constituted a substantial 10.08%.

Challenges in Policy Response

• The policy response is hindered by the absence of reliable data.

• India hasn’t conducted a full caste census since 1931.

• Without up-to-date caste data, affirmative action and development policies remain speculative.

Social Management Approach

• A social management approach starts with data, targets need-based interventions, and treats caste as a developmental variable.

• A national caste census could inform disaggregated budgeting, diversity audits in institutions, and track how schemes like PM Awas Yojana or Skill India reach caste groups.

Global Precedents

• Critics argue that a caste census deepens social divides and undermines national unity.

• A caste census does not create casteism; it reveals it.

Transparency

• A caste census extends beyond policymaking and is a vital instrument of democratic accountability.

• A publicly accessible caste census would empower citizens to demand transparency.

• A caste census rooted in social management would be linked to a wider agenda of social emancipation.