3 Oct 2023 : Indian Express
Indian Express
3-October-2023
1) BIHAR CASTE CENSUS
Context:
- The Bihar caste survey was released by the state government revealing that Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) constitute more than 63% of the population of Bihar.
About Census in India:
- The first comprehensive census was conducted in India in 1881 under the leadership of Lord Ripon after the 1872 census was initiated by British Viceroy Lord Mayo.
- Every ten years since 1881, the Census has been carried out; the 15th Census of India was carried out in 2011.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs’ Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India oversaw the Census of India.
- The 1948 Census of India Act was used to conduct every census since 1951. The previous census took place in 2011.
About Caste census:
- For the 2011 Census of India, the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) was carried out.
- All of India’s states and union territories participated in the SECC 2011.
- In addition, SECC 2011 was India’s first paperless census, carried out by the government in 640 districts using portable electronic devices.
- The National Food Security Act, the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana, and other rural development ministry programs have all made use of SECC data.
- Since India’s 1931 Census, SECC 2011 was the country’s first caste-based census.
- The 1948 Census of India Act, which made people’ sharing of information voluntary rather than a requirement, was not applied to the 2011 SECC.
Arguments in Support of a Caste Census
- Being economically and socially disadvantaged, those at the lower levels of the social system must be identified in order to assure their welfare.
- Caste information will encourage objective investigation into the issue of who need affirmative action and who does not.
- Until reliable caste-related data collection efforts are made, our folks’ trust cannot be restored.
- Policymakers will be able to create better policies and implementation plans thanks to a caste census, which would produce thorough data. It will also permit more reasoned discussion on delicate topics.
- In order to investigate the sub-categorization of OBC communities, the Justice Rohini committee was established in 2017. However, without data, there can be no data bank or appropriate sub-categorization.
- All commissions have been forced to rely on information from the 1931 last caste census. The data must therefore be updated.
- The US addresses racial issues by gathering data on race, class, language, and inter-racial marriages, among other metrics. India must be bold and determined in addressing caste questions through data and statistics.
Argument against holding a caste census:
- The lack of “completeness and accuracy” in the 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) caste data makes it “unusable” for official purposes since it is both inaccurate and misleading.
- To conceal their caste identification, many people may choose not to register for the census.
- Caste cannot be included in the Census 2021 at this time because planning and preparations for the exercise began about four years ago and are practically complete.
- This might exacerbate social divisions in India. The government claimed that there were 4,147 castes in all, while the SECC 2021 data indicates that there are actually more than 46 lakh castes in India.
- Because the enumerators used different spellings for the same castes, earlier attempts failed because the entire operation was tainted. Many times, the interviewees balked about disclosing their castes.
Why Bihar caste survey is important?
- Releasing the caste survey results in Bihar is a much-needed and overdue development for the politics and policy of the state.
- For governments that practice or purport to practice “samajik nyaya” or social fairness, caste statistics can serve as a vital reality check.
- Data can be used to improve attempts to alleviate historically ingrained inequity and backwardness.
Challenges:
- The problem moving forward is to prevent the data from being used as a tool to widen political rifts and fuel divisiveness in order to win elections.
- It shouldn’t result in a broad and diversified democracy’s concept of representation fragmenting and becoming smaller.
Way Forward:
- Nothing in a democratic society legally prevents a member of the most underprivileged class or caste from achieving the highest office, but these legal rights also require socioeconomic support from the state called affirmative action.
- People must also be aware of how poor current sources are for learning about the past, particularly the ancient past. It is challenging to be completely definite about the circumstances at the time or the factors that led to the establishment of particular institutions and practices. Even if we were aware of all of this, we still need to remember that something is not always right or wrong just because it occurred in the past or is a part of our heritage.
- Every age must re-examine these issues and reach its own, collective judgment regarding its social systems.
- To secure the socioeconomic growth of marginalized people living at the bottom of the social hierarchy, governments must implement efficient affirmative action policies based on solid evidence.
For Enquiry
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