Caste census in June-Sept next year

The country will have its first caste census in 80 years that will be conducted over four months next year between June and September.

It is official now. The country will have its first caste census in 80 years that will be conducted over four months next year between June and September. The Cabinet on Thursday gave its nod for a standalone caste census,reasoning that a separate exercise will ensure accuracy and avoid duplicacy in counting that could arise if it was linked to the ongoing Census.

Announcing the Cabinet decision that came in the backdrop of demands from almost all parties to have such a caste headcount,Home Minister P Chidambaram said that caste of all persons as returned by them will be canvassed and the caste enumeration will be conducted as a separate exercise from June 2011 to September 2011. The last such exercise was done in 1931.

The decision,though,will necessiate amendments in the Census Act,primarily to ensure that it does not face legal hurdles. This was thought necessary,sources said,to avoid a stay or adverse directives from courts in the event of PILs. The Law Ministry will be consulted on this count.

After considering various options,the option we have approved is,based on the responses of various parties,that caste must be canvassed and integrity of the headcount must not be affected, said Chidambaram.

At the Cabinet meet,Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee,who held consultations with Opposition as well as other parties besides seeking their views in writing on the subject,opened the discussion by saying that PM Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had given commitment to have a caste census. He added that other parties too had supported it and there was no need for any apprehensions.

He pointed out that the financial component would be higher since a separate exercise was being conducted,but said it would ensure accuracy. Outlining the calender for the exercise,he said it would be included after the biometric capture that would be completed in March 2011.

Though detailed modalities will be worked out in the coming days,the primary collection of data from the field will be conducted by the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner. An expert group that will be constituted after the enumeration will then analyse and classify the data accordingly. Every point of view has been accommodated and the time-table drawn up8230;. We hope this will be a satisfactory arrangement, Chidambaram said.

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The decision to set up the expert group was taken after some ministers raised questions regarding the nodal ministry dealing with the subject. Mukul Wasnik,Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment,argued that his ministry alone could not deal with the subject and suggested that an expert group be set up instead.

The Cabinet decision was welcomed by parties like RJD and SP who sought to take credit. Both had disrupted proceedings in Parliament while demanding a caste census. The BJP,however,felt the exercise should not have been delinked from the Census operations.