The Hindu: Published on 4th May 2025:
Why in News?
The Union Cabinet has decided to include caste enumeration in the next Census for the first time in nearly 100 years.
This marks a significant policy shift for the ruling BJP, which had consistently opposed caste-based enumeration beyond SC/ST classifications.
The announcement comes just before the Bihar Assembly elections, where caste politics are central to voter behavior.
What Are the Key Objectives of the Caste Count?
Policy Design & Welfare Schemes: Accurate data on caste composition will help the government target welfare schemes more effectively.
Evidence-Based Reservation: The 27% OBC quota is based on the outdated 1931 census. A fresh count will allow recalibration of reservation quotas based on actual population.
Correct Historical Gaps: Post-1947 censuses excluded comprehensive caste data (except SC/ST), leaving a vacuum in official caste representation.
Academic and Socio-economic Research: The data will be valuable for scholars and planners to understand changing caste dynamics.
Why is the BJP Government’s Decision a Surprise?
The BJP previously dismissed caste-based census, branding it divisive and unnecessary.
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai recently told Parliament there were "no plans" for a caste census.
The decision appears politically motivated, aiming to neutralize the Opposition's demand for caste equity and to regain traction in key states like Bihar.
What Are the Challenges the Exercise Will Throw Up?
Implementation Delay: The Census itself is pending since 2021, with no fixed date. Adding caste further complicates timelines.
Categorization Conflicts: States and Centre have differing lists of OBCs, and deciding which castes belong where (OBC/SC/ST/General) is contentious.
Data Accuracy: Past exercises like the SECC-2011 showed 46 lakh unique caste entries, making standardization hard.
Political Sensitivities: Fresh data could lead to demands for increased reservations, risking a backlash from upper castes or non-beneficiary groups.
What Are the Complexities Involved?
Linguistic and Regional Variations: Caste names vary across states, dialects, and even villages, making uniform coding difficult.
Religious Identities: Should caste identities be counted among non-Hindus, and will they qualify for quotas?
Sub-Castes and Hyphenated Identities: Over time, castes split or merge, making classification dynamic and unstable.
Legal Implications: Expanding quotas based on new data could require amending the Constitution or challenging existing Supreme Court judgments.
What Will It Mean for the Reservation Ceiling?
The Supreme Court-mandated 50% cap on reservations is likely to come under pressure.
States like Karnataka and Bihar, based on their own caste surveys, are already demanding quota increases (Karnataka from 32% to 51%).
A nationwide caste census could politically and legally energize movements to breach the 50% cap.
Which States Have Already Conducted a Caste Enumeration?
- Bihar (2023): Found OBCs and EBCs form 63% of the population.
- Telangana (2024): Congress-led survey showed BCs at 56%.
- Karnataka (2015-2025): Results revealed OBCs at ~70%.
- Other states like Maharashtra and Odisha have discussed surveys but not completed them.
Conclusion & Implications
- The decision to conduct a caste census is a historic shift with deep political, legal, and social consequences.
- It reflects both the realities of electoral politics and a growing push for data-driven equity in public policy. However, it also opens up thorny challenges around identity, social cohesion, and constitutional boundaries that the Centre will have to carefully navigate.
