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New Delhi: India’s Cabinet Approves Caste Data Collection for Upcoming Census
On Wednesday, the Indian Cabinet sanctioned the collection of caste information during the upcoming population census, as announced by the Information Minister. This move aims to address a sensitive topic ahead of the forthcoming regional elections.
The minister did not specify when the census would commence. Originally scheduled for 2021, this decade-long population survey has faced delays due to the pandemic, along with various technical and logistical challenges.
The caste system, a deeply entrenched social hierarchy in India that has existed for centuries, plays a significant role in the society and political landscape of the country. Numerous political parties are based on caste affiliations, and many state institutions are obligated to provide job and college quota benefits to individuals from lower castes.
Supporters of the caste data collection emphasize the need for accurate information to better allocate government aid, while opponents argue that caste distinctions should not factor into a nation aspiring to be a global leader.
The announcement comes just months before elections in Bihar, a state where caste dynamics are particularly influential, especially as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party aims to maintain its governance.
"Several states have conducted their own caste surveys, but the level of transparency has varied; some have been politically motivated," Information Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw explained during a Cabinet briefing. He argued that integrating caste data into the census would enhance transparency compared to relying solely on individual state surveys.
Caste data was collected in 2011 for the first time in 80 years, but the results were withheld due to doubts about their reliability.
In recent developments, two southern states—Andhra Pradesh and Telangana—have initiated their own caste surveys, while Bihar published caste census data last year.
The principal opposition party, Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, has called for a socio-economic caste census and expressed support for a constitutional amendment to raise the current 50% cap on reservations for backward castes in government jobs and educational institutions.
"The goal of the caste census is not just to tally the various castes but also to assess their contributions to the nation’s wealth," Gandhi stated last year.
Current quotas are based on aging caste data, and analysts worry that new information could reveal a larger population of backward castes, triggering demands to increase the quota limits.
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