Issues and Analysis on Implications of Caste-Census for UPSC Civil Services Examination (General Studies) Preparation

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Issues and Analysis

Implications of Caste-Census

Social Issues Caste system
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    Implications of Caste-Census
    With 2021 census approaching, the debate around having caste-based census has come up. It is essential to understand the implications that caste statistics would have in the country.

    What was caste census's role in colonial times?

    · Census of 1931 provides, to date, any information regarding the size and characteristics of various castes in India.

    · Colonial Censuses, beginning with the first Census in 1871, included questions about caste.

    · This generated an idea of homogeneous and classifiable community.

    · It was used to divide and conquer India.

    · This was done by first privileging Brahmins as interpreters of Indian culture.

    · Slowly they were targeted as the roots of caste-based oppression and inequality.

    · This classification was also a source of anti-Brahmin movements of 20th century.

    · It thereby influenced the processes of political representation.

    How does caste census impact society?

    · Society - There are apprehensions that caste based census would further promote: i. Caste-based political mobilisation ii. strong sentiments for or against reservations

    · Post-Independence Censuses have thus shied away from including questions about caste.

    · However, Patels, Gujjars, Jats and Marathas do not seem to care about the lack of Census data as they demand reservations.

    · Also, even without caste census, caste does play a role in elections in terms of vote banks.

    Does caste census play a role in economy?

    · Caste data from 1931 Census and a few special purpose surveys define certain categories.

    · They include Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs and upper castes.

    · It is assumed these broad caste-based social categories continue to shape economic conditions in 21st century India.

    · However, each of these categories consists of thousands of jatis (castes) and upjatis (subcastes).

    · Hence, without accurate data for each of these, the claim that it shapes economic conditions is baseless.

    · Also, the society and economy, since 1931 census, has undergone various changes, crossing these caste boundaries.

    What are the transformations since 1931?

    · Land - Land ownership that perpetuated the power of upper castes has lost its hold.

    · Land fragmentation and agricultural stagnation have turned many upper caste landowners into marginal farmers.

    · Besides, rising rural wages, particularly construction wages, has made the landless better.

    · Poverty - Broadly, mean consumption expenditure of forward castes is higher than that of Dalits.

    · However, clusters of poverty persist among forward castes also, as per National Sample Survey (NSS).

    · The bottom fourth of forward castes are poorer than the top half of Dalits.

    · Education - India Human Development Survey shows that 56% of Dalit children aged 8-11 cannot read.

    · But this is also the case with 32% of forward caste and 47% of OBC children.

    · Overall, some jatis have managed to pull themselves out of poverty and marginalisation.

    · While other groups have had a deterioration in their status.

    What is the need for caste census?

    · Economic growth and affirmative action by governments have changed relative fortunes of various groups.

    · Hence, it is time to collect data that reflects the current situation.

    · So the social apprehensions on implications of caste census are largely invalid.

    · Without caste data, the discourse on caste and affirmative action are dominated by decisions made by the colonial administration.

    · Collecting data on caste is now essential to rationalise the reservation policies.

    · Challenges - Sometimes the same caste is spelt in different ways, or individuals report their jati and others upjati.

    · This makes it difficult to create mutually exclusive categories.

    What could the methodology be?

    · There is nearly three years' time before the Census of 2021.

    · Data from Socio-Economic Caste Census and technologies rooted in machine learning are at disposal.

    · It would be possible to set up an expert group that uses the SECC data in conjunction with other data sources.

    · Comprehensive list of castes can be made and condensed into meaningful categories via machine learning tools.

    · These categories could then be validated by domain experts in various States.

    · It can then be used to make a district specific list of castes that would cover more than 90% of individuals in any given district.

    · Respondents can then be allowed to self-identify from the precoded list.

    · The residual group?s responses recorded verbatim could be categorised later.

    · This is very similar to the technique through which occupational and industrial classification systems are created.

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