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The methodology to beryllium followed for caste enumeration successful the forthcoming Census is yet to beryllium finalised and the preparatory workout for it volition apt beryllium done by July, authorities sources said.
Opposition parties specified arsenic the Congress and the Samajwadi Party person questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government, owed to the lack of an expanded caste file successful the questionnaire of the archetypal signifier of the Census, which was published past week. The parties asked whether the Centre truly intended to clasp a caste number during the Population Census 2027.
However, the last questionnaire for caste enumeration is apt to beryllium known lone successful September, erstwhile Population Enumeration (PE), the 2nd signifier of Census 2027, kicks disconnected successful Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, up of the remainder of the country. Caste number successful each different States volition beryllium held during the PE signifier successful February 2027.
This volition beryllium the 16th Census and the archetypal successful autarkic India to number each castes, different than Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), the authorities has said.
Unlike the 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC), which was done extracurricular the purview of the Census, caste volition beryllium enumerated this clip successful the 2nd and last phase, giving it statutory backing. The SECC enumerated much than 46 lakh castes portion the full fig of castes during the pre-Independence 1931 Census was 4,147.
This volition besides beryllium the archetypal clip that Census information is captured digitally, connected smartphones and mobile apps and the archetypal clip erstwhile citizens volition beryllium capable to self-enumerate done a yet-to-be announced portal.
The Census volition beryllium done successful 2 phases, with the Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) to beryllium held from April-September 2026 and the PE successful February 2027. The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI) notified 33 questions for the HLO signifier connected January 22. Question fig 12 successful the questionnaire was: “Whether the caput of the household is Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/Others.”
Congress person Jairam Ramesh said that Question 12 does not explicitly impact Other Backward Classes (OBC) and General categories. “Since caste enumeration is to beryllium portion of Census 2027, Question 12 arsenic formulated does rise superior questions connected the Modi Government’s existent intentions and connected its committedness to a comprehensive, fair, nation-wide caste census,” Mr. Ramesh posted connected X.
He said the Congress wanted the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led authorities to instantly initiate a dialog with governmental parties, State governments, and civilian nine organisations earlier finalising the details of the caste enumeration exercise.
“Such consultations were an integral portion of the SEEEPC [Socio-Economic, Educational, Employment, Political, and Caste] Survey that was carried retired by the Telangana Government successful 2025 and which remains the astir broad and meaningful mode to stitchery captious caste-wise accusation connected education, employment, income, and governmental engagement - which are truthful precise indispensable for ensuring greater economical and societal justice,” Mr. Ramesh said.
The 2011 docket oregon the questionnaire for the HLO signifier besides had the aforesaid question astatine serial fig 15. The details of SC/ST file were filled successful the 2nd signifier done the Centrally approved list. While the OBC database tin beryllium maintained some by State and Centre, SC/ST names are lone maintained by Central government.
According to the latest authorities data, determination are astir 2,650 Other Backward Classes (OBC) successful the Central list, 1,170 successful the Scheduled Caste class and 890 communities successful the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list. Whether the “Other” file volition person a merged Central and State OBC database oregon a database of unreserved categories of caste is yet to beryllium decided.
In fact, the pre-test oregon the preparatory workout of the Census, which was done from November 10-30, 2025 for the archetypal clip covered lone the HLO oregon the archetypal signifier arsenic the caste methodology is yet to beryllium decided. In the past, the preparatory workout covered some the phases simultaneously.
A State authorities authoritative said that the pre-test for the PE signifier volition person to beryllium completed by July arsenic the snow-bound States are to implicit some the phases successful September.
On January 24, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav had besides accused the authorities of dithering connected caste census.
“There isn’t adjacent a file for caste successful the census notification—what volition they count? A caste-based census is conscionable different BJP gimmick. The BJP’s straightforward look is: nary counting, nary demographic ground for proportional preservation oregon rights. Not conducting a caste-based census is simply a BJP conspiracy against PDA society,” helium posted connected X.
