Will Other Backward Classes (OBCs) Be Counted in the Census?
The government is considering whether to include caste in the upcoming Census. This decision is complex and politically sensitive. Unlike Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), who are listed based on constitutional orders, OBCs do not have a unified list. Instead, there are separate lists maintained by the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) and each state.
The NCBC’s Central list is used for reservations in Central government jobs and educational institutions. Each state maintains its own OBC list, which can be more extensive than the Central list. The government must decide whether to limit OBC enumeration to the Central list or to incorporate state lists, which is a politically sensitive decision.
Another key question is whether caste enumeration should cover all castes, including those in the "general category." Currently, SC and ST respondents specify their particular caste or tribe, which enumerators then match against pre-approved lists. However, the general category is enumerated as one single bloc.
Recent caste surveys in Bihar and Telangana counted individual caste groups under the general category. In Telangana, the state government has not released the full caste survey report due to personal data protection guidelines.
The process and timeframe for the Census are also being discussed. The government will need at least six months of preparation before it can begin enumeration. This includes issuing notifications in the Official Gazette, followed by similar notifications from all state governments. Once these are in place, the proforma for house listing and population enumeration phases will have to be formally notified.
The suspended 2021 Census was set to be the first to use digital enumeration, with officials collecting data via electronic forms. With the inclusion of caste as one of the columns, the software will need to be updated to include a new field for OBCs, along with a drop-down menu of sub-categories.
Enumerators will also need to be retrained, with many involved in the previous exercise now retiring. Training alone typically takes up to two months. The adoption of technology will significantly reduce the manual effort required to tabulate data, which earlier took months — sometimes years.
The government’s decision on how to count OBCs in the Census is expected to be announced soon.
Reference : https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/caste-census-obcs-general-sc-st-9978748/
