Now Reading: Census 2027 to Record Caste for First Time Since Independence
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Census 2027 to Record Caste for First Time Since Independence
Census 2027 will record the caste of every respondent, marking the first such exercise since Independence, The Hindu reports. Its questionnaire expands to 40 questions from 29 in Census 2011 and will…
The Story in Brief
Census 2027 will record the caste of every respondent, marking the first such exercise since Independence, The Hindu reports. Its questionnaire expands to 40 questions from 29 in Census 2011 and will cover caste, digital literacy, Aadhaar, mobile numbers, bank accounts, voter IDs and passports.
The open-column caste format has triggered a political dispute. Times Now News reports that parties are divided over whether the exercise will improve social justice, representation and welfare policy, or become an instrument for electoral vote-bank politics. The Hindu also examines lessons from the 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census and the possible effect on policymaking, welfare schemes and representation.
The Indian Opinion
The loudest claims on both sides need caution. Calling the exercise pure social justice ignores the political value of new demographic data. Calling it merely vote-bank politics ignores its possible use in targeting welfare and assessing representation. The open-column format and the quality of enumeration will matter more than television arguments. The first test is whether the government publishes clear standards for recording caste and explains how the data will be used.
Sources (2): timesnownews.com, thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
