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Usefulness of Caste Census
Context:
The demand for a caste census has become a contentious political issue, with support from opposition leaders, NGOs, and recently, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
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- Advocates argue that such a census would provide precise population data for various castes, enabling proportional distribution of government jobs, land, and resources.
- However, the complexities of collecting accurate caste data and the challenges of proportional reservations raise significant concerns.
Historical Context of the Caste Census
- India’s caste census dates back to the late 19th century, beginning with the 1871-72 survey, which sought to classify castes across regions like the North-Western Provinces (NWP), Central Provinces (CP), Bengal, and Madras.
- These classifications were arbitrary and superficial, grouping diverse communities under broad categories. For instance:
- In the NWP, only four sets were recognised: Brahmins, Rajputs, Banias, and “other castes of Hindus.”
- The CP included groups like “servants and laborers” under caste sets.
- Bengal’s classifications included beggars and musicians, while Madras identified “mixed castes” and “outcastes.”
- These efforts were fraught with inconsistencies, leading W. Chichele Plowden, who prepared the 1881 Census report, to describe caste enumeration as “confusing.”
- The 1931 caste census faced similar challenges, identifying over 4,000 castes with frequent changes in caste identity across regions.
- Modern attempts, like the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) of 2011, reported 46.7 lakh castes/sub-castes with 8.2 crore acknowledged errors, underscoring the persistent difficulties.
Challenges in Collecting Accurate Data
- Upward Mobility Claims: Respondents may claim affiliation with higher castes due to the perceived prestige of certain varna positions.
- Historical data, such as the 1921 and 1931 censuses, show communities changing caste identities across decades.
- Downward Mobility Claims: Conversely, some may identify with lower castes to gain benefits from reservation policies, a phenomenon increasingly observed post-independence.
- Caste Misclassification: Similar-sounding surnames can lead to errors.
- For example, in Rajasthan, “Dhanak” (SC) and “Dhanka” (ST) are often misclassified.
- Enumerators may also rely on assumptions based on surnames rather than explicit responses, compounding inaccuracies.
- Social Sensitivity: Discussing caste remains a sensitive issue, leading to discomfort for both respondents and enumerators, further complicating data collection.
Issues with Proportional Representation
- While proportional representation may seem equitable, it is impractical and regressive when applied to individual castes. For instance:
- Calculation of Reserved Posts: Reserved posts are allocated based on the percentage of reservations for each category.
- For OBCs (27%), every fourth position is reserved; for SCs (15%), every seventh; and so on.
- Challenges for Smaller Castes: India has approximately 6,000 castes with an average population of 2.3 lakh per caste.
- For a smaller caste of 10,000 people to secure one reserved post, at least 1,40,845 positions would need to be advertised.
- Using UPSC as an example, which typically announces 1,000 vacancies annually, it would take 141 years for such a caste to receive a single vacancy.
- Exacerbation of Inequities: With the SECC 2011 reporting 46.7 lakh sub-castes, proportional representation would require 46,73,034 vacancies, making it virtually impossible for smaller castes to benefit within a realistic timeframe.
