Latest news with #CabinetCommitteeonPoliticalAffairs
Hans India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Census in J&K, Ladakh, Himachal, U'Khand in 2026, rest in 2027
New Delhi: Sixteen years after the last census in 2011, the government on Monday issued a notification for conducting India's 16th census which will include caste enumeration in 2027. The census will be carried out with a reference date of October 1, 2026 in the snow-bound areas like Ladakh and March 1, 2027 in the rest of the country, the notification said. "The reference date for the said census shall be 00.00 hours of the 1st day of March, 2027, except for the Union territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand," it said. In respect of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date shall be 00:00 hours of the first day of October, 2026, it said. The massive exercise, which is expected to cost the government over Rs 13,000 crore to give population-related data from across the country, will be conducted by about 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors and around 1.3 lakh census functionaries armed with digital devices. Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the preparation for the census with Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, and other senior officials here on Sunday. In the upcoming census, caste enumeration will also be done, the first such exercise since Independence. The last comprehensive caste-based count was done by the Britishers between 1881 and 1931. Caste was excluded from all census operations conducted since Independence. The decision to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 30. "Considering all these circumstances, and to ensure that our social fabric does not come under political pressure, it has been decided that caste enumeration should be included in the main census instead of being conducted as a separate survey," an official statement had said. In 2010, then prime minister Manmohan Singh had assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census would be considered in the cabinet. A group of ministers was formed to deliberate on this subject and majority of the political parties recommended conducting a caste census. However, the previous Congress-led government opted for a survey instead of a caste census, known as the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC).
Hans India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Centre notifies 2027 population census
New Delhi: Sixteen years after the last census in 2011, the government on Monday issued a notification for conducting India's 16th census which will include caste enumeration in 2027. The census will be carried out with a reference date of October 1, 2026 in the snow-bound areas like Ladakh and March 1, 2027 in the rest of the country, the notification said. "The reference date for the said census shall be 00.00 hours of the 1st day of March, 2027, except for the Union territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand," it said. In respect of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date shall be 00:00 hours of the first day of October, 2026, it said. The massive exercise, which is expected to cost the government over Rs 13,000 crore to give population-related data from across the country, will be conducted by about 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors and around 1.3 lakh census functionaries armed with digital devices. Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the preparation for the census with Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, and other senior officials here on Sunday. In the upcoming census, caste enumeration will also be done, the first such exercise since Independence. The last comprehensive caste-based count was done by the Britishers between 1881 and 1931. Caste was excluded from all census operations conducted since Independence. The decision to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 30. "Considering all these circumstances, and to ensure that our social fabric does not come under political pressure, it has been decided that caste enumeration should be included in the main census instead of being conducted as a separate survey," an official statement had said. In 2010, then prime minister Manmohan Singh had assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census would be considered in the cabinet. A group of ministers was formed to deliberate on this subject and majority of the political parties recommended conducting a caste census. However, the previous Congress-led government opted for a survey instead of a caste census, known as the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC).
Mint
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Sanjoy Chakravorty: A caste census is a Pandora's Box that India must open anyway
It appears that India's much delayed 2021 Population Census will likely take place in 2027 and that it will include caste enumeration. If this does happen and the results are released, we will see caste data at the national level for the first time after 1931. The demand for a caste census has been growing for years, especially from the Congress, several other members of the INDIA block and many states. In fact, the 2011 Census had included an enumeration of castes, but the data was never released (for reasons discussed below). Bihar conducted a state-level caste survey in 2022. The governments of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, among others, have been vociferous in their support of this step. With the acquiescence of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs this April, all major political interests are now aligned in favour of a caste census. Also Read: Himanshu: India's caste census must serve its purpose Caste demography represents a massive and critical gap in India's self-knowledge. There is some information on the most marginalized groups: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, who comprise roughly 16.6% and 8.6% respectively of the population. Together, they make up about one-quarter of the country's people. Another 20% are people who do not identify as Hindu: Muslims (14.2%), Christians (2.3%), Sikhs (1.7%), Buddhists (0.7%), Jains (0.4%) and others, according to the 2011 Census. That leaves about 55% of the Indian population as undifferentiated Hindus, including Forward and Dominant Castes and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Therefore, the purpose of a caste census is primarily to disaggregate and understand the composition of this 55%. While there is some interest in learning more about the demography of Forward and Dominant Castes, the most important objective of a caste census is to estimate the size and composition of the OBC population. This is surely India's largest social group. But how large is it? No one knows. The Mandal Commission (1980) placed it at 52% of the total population. The National Sample Survey Organization calculated it to be 32-36% in 2000 and 41% in 2006. Other government and non- government surveys place the number in the 30-35% range. The Bihar caste survey counted 63% of the state's population as OBC. Also Read: Caste census? Okay, but we must handle it with care Why is there so much imprecision and uncertainty about India's OBC population? There are several answers to this question. For one, self-identification of social identity can be tricky: people may have mixed identities, or they may believe they have an identity that does not match official categories, or they may choose not to identify as 'Backward' in any way. Second, the official categories themselves aren't fixed. The Union ministry of social justice and empowerment, which is in charge of maintaining caste lists, moves castes in and out of the OBC list based on dynamic factors (like education and economic conditions). Moreover, the OBC category is itself very diverse: castes that may be lagging in some regions may be dominant landowning groups or thriving small business communities in others. So much so, that there exists a quasi-official category called 'upper OBCs' that includes caste groups like Yadav, Kurmi, Koeri and Bania (in Bihar). Also Read: We need a reformation: Caste salience must fall for India's social capital to rise One of the main reasons for the caste census data of 2011 not being released, as reported, is that people self-identified in tens of thousands of castes, so it became impossible to impose some sort of order on the data. This is also what happened when the British Indian government began conducting the census exercise in 1867-72. The original intent was to capture caste data under the so-called Chaturvarna system: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. That turned out to be impossible. By the 1901 Census, there were 1,641 castes and sub-castes listed; by 1931, the last census with caste information, that list had grown to 4,147. C.F. McGrath, who was the commissioner of Independent India's first Census in 1951, had earlier concluded that the 'meaningless division into the four castes alleged to have been made by Manu should be put aside." Also Read: The Bihar caste survey marks a big step towards a reality check The only solution to this 'problem' of India's teeming diversity is to reduce it; to impose order by using a preset rather than open-ended caste list. This is what Bihar's survey did and is presumably what the national Caste Census of 2027 plans to do. The obvious problem with this is that by reducing choice, millions of people may feel un- or mis-represented and therefore opt out of the system. This points us to a deeper problem with this approach. A census does not merely record reality, but alters it by imposing order (by using categories and lists). A census therefore shapes the world it seeks to describe and reactions to it then reshape the census and the world it describes. One possibility with a pre-set caste list is that unlisted castes will begin to disappear as recognized social identities. Another possibility is that resistance and political action will shape future caste lists. Also Read: A national caste census looks all but inevitable A census is a powerful tool with wide-ranging and long-lasting consequences. The British Indian censuses were arguably the most important social experiments ever carried out in the subcontinent. The categories and categorical definitions they created—especially for religion but also for caste and tribe—have come to be accepted as real and permanent. This space does not permit any further exposition. Interested readers may look up my 2019 book The Truth About Us. There is no doubt about India's need for a Caste Census that provides robust information on the composition of 55% of its population. Core policies on welfare, education and employment should ideally be based on this data, but have been shooting in the dark at shape-shifting targets so far. But let us not play down the challenges of doing this well and recognize that, even if done well, the Caste Census will inevitably change the composition and politics of caste in ways that are impossible to predict now. The author is a professor of geography, environment and urban studies and director of global studies at Temple University.
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
A different approach to the caste census
The story so far: The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Modi, has decided to conduct caste enumeration in the upcoming Census. As per Article 246 of the Constitution, the Census is a Union subject listed in the 7th schedule. The caste census must be viewed beyond binaries of 'for or against' to envision a more transformative idea — as a foundational tool for what might be called a social management approach to governance. What were the findings from State-level caste censuses? The Bihar caste survey (2023) found that Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically Backward Classes (EBCs) together make up over 63% of the population, with EBCs alone at 36.01%. Scheduled Castes (SC) account for 19.65%, and Scheduled Tribes (SC) for 1.68%. The general category comprises only 15.52%. Additionally, over 34% of Bihar's families live on less than ₹200 per day, with nearly 44% of SC households below that line. In Telangana's 2025 survey, Backward Classes (BCs) constituted 56.33% of the population, with BC Muslims forming a substantial 10.08%. These numbers reveal a stark reality: India's marginalised communities form the majority but are significantly underrepresented in education, employment, and governance. Data shared by the Union Minister of State for Education in Parliament reveals that only 4% of professors and 6% of associate professors in 45 Central Universities are OBCs, while 85% are from the general category. This imbalance exists despite the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act, 2019. Yet, the policy response is hindered by the absence of reliable data. India hasn't conducted a full caste census since 1931. The 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) was marred by data inconsistencies and its findings were withheld. Without up-to-date caste data, affirmative action and development policies remain speculative. What is a social management approach? Top-down welfare models in India have failed to adequately address layered inequities of caste, gender, and class. A social management approach does the opposite: it starts with data, targets need-based interventions, and treats caste as a developmental variable rather than a stigma. If we know who needs what, and how need is shaped by historical disadvantage, we can design policies with greater equity and efficiency. Caste data becomes a lens to understand inequity structurally, rather than as isolated cases. Tamil Nadu offers a model, using data from the Backward Classes Commission to adjust policies on reservations, scholarships, and governance. Karnataka's caste survey is being used to recalibrate reservation policies in education and jobs. A national caste census would enable such models at scale. It could inform disaggregated budgeting, where funds are allocated, not just based on geography or income but on caste-based gaps in healthcare, infrastructure, and education. It could enable diversity audits in institutions, showing who occupies power and who doesn't. It could also track how schemes like PM Awas Yojana or Skill India are reaching caste groups, ensuring that the most marginalised aren't left out. Are there global precedents? Critics argue that a caste census deepens social divides and undermines national unity. However, the reality is that caste endures not because it is counted, but because it shapes how opportunity, and wealth are distributed. Ignoring caste does not erase it. It merely obscures structural inequality behind ignorance. A caste census does not create casteism; it reveals it. Other democracies don't shy away from identity-based data. The U.S. collects race and ethnicity data every 10 years and uses it for civil rights enforcement. South Africa and Brazil do the same by tracking race and language categories. If these nations can use such data to address inequity, so must India, home to the most enduring and hierarchical caste system in the world. What about transparency? The value of a caste census extends beyond policymaking. It is also a vital instrument of democratic accountability. Disaggregated data enables civil society, the media, and citizens to know whether public resources are being equitably shared. A publicly accessible caste census would empower citizens to demand transparency. It could expose intra-caste inequalities and where welfare benefits are monopolised by elite sub-groups, leaving the truly disadvantaged behind. Ultimately, the caste census is not about counting caste. It is about recognising injustice and correcting it. Thus, a caste census rooted in social management would be linked to a wider agenda of social emancipation. This includes constitutional literacy, land rights, housing, labour protections, and justice for Dalit, Bahujan, and Adivasi women who face intersectional exploitation. A caste census done right could offer India a data-driven democratic transformation. Prof. Sony Kunjappan is the Head, Department of Studies in Social Management, Central University of Gujarat. Amal Chandra is an author, policy analyst, and columnist
Hans India
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Census from March 2027
New Delhi: The Union government on Wednesday announced that the census exercise will be held in two phases beginning October 1, 2026. The first phase will be held in hilly and snow-hit areas in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Ladakh and other areas. The second phase covering other parts of the country will be held from March 1, 2027. It is expected to be held in a time span of three years, government sources said. More than a month after the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) approved caste enumeration in the forthcoming population census, the Centre said census exercise with caste enumeration will finally begin from March 1, 2027. The exercise will take place in two phases in states/UTs including Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. 'It has been decided to conduct Population Census-2027 in two phases along with enumeration of castes. The reference date for Population Census – 2027 will be 00:00 hours of the first day of March, 2027. For the Union Territory of Ladakh and the non-synchronous snow-bound areas of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be 00.00 hours of the first day of October, 2026,' a press statement said. 'The notification for the intent of conducting the Population Census with the above reference dates will be published in the official gazette tentatively on June 16, 2025, as per provision of section 3 of Census Act 1948,' it said. 'The Census of India is conducted under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948 and the Census Rules, 1990. The last Census of India was conducted in 2011 in two phases, namely; Phase I – House Listing (HLO) (April 1 to 30 September 30, 2010) and Phase II – Population Enumeration (PE) (February 9 to February 28, 2011) with reference date – 00:00 hours of the first day of March 2011, except for snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh for which it was conducted during 11 to 30 September 2010 with reference date as 00.00 hours of the first day of October 2010,' it said. During the announcement of the caste enumeration earlier on April 20, this year, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said, 'Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs has decided … that caste enumeration should be included in the forthcoming Census. This demonstrates that a government is committed to the values and interests of a society and country.' The Centre's decision came while the Opposition – particularly Congress leader Rahul Gandhi – had upped its ante against the NDA-led government over the issue. Since the announcement of the Census exercise and its deferment owing to the Covid pandemic in 2020, the deadline for freezing jurisdictional boundaries has been extended multiple times.
