Detailed Population’s Data: Socio-Economic And Caste Census

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The Census of India is one of the largest exercises which identifies and collects demographic and socio-economic information about the Indian population.
• The data collected from this exercise is of use to social scientists and for people who make policies and the government. This is because the exercise does not only collect quantitative data but also aims to describe what people have access to and what they are excluded from.
• This decennial practice traces back its context to the colonial period (1881).
• W.M. Yeats, the Census commissioner in the 1940s described the practice as a blunt instrument that cannot be used for specialized inquiry. Other scholars who agreed said that this exercise cannot be used to understand a complex society.
• The administration of socio-economic and caste census (SECC) was done in 2011 for this purpose but it too was not free from errors.

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INTRODUCTION

It has been noted that SECC has the potential to allow for tracing of inequalities at a greater level as it encompasses the social institution of caste in the Census. The decision to conduct a similar census in 2021 by the BJP government has not been opposed much.

However, there are concerns about the same. The very first being that including ‘Caste’ in the census can lead to political aftermath. Also, people may not feel good about sharing this information with administrative officials.

The main difference between SECC and the general Census is that the former aims to recognize the beneficiaries of state support, but the latter only concerns itself with providing a representation of the population.

The data collected in Census is not shared with anyone and is confidential since the exercise comes under the Census Act of 1948. Information collected in socio-economic and caste census can be studied by the government to ensure benefits to households.

CHALLENGES RELATED TO COMBINING CASTE WITH CENSUS

Caste as an institution is very dynamic and thus has to be considered with utmost readiness to allow understanding of contemporary India. However, conducting a full-scale caste census to include information in a broad sense is socially impossible.

When the 2011 SECC was conducted, the upper caste section of the society opposed it. However, the re-conducting of a similar census includes the OBCs in the counting as well which has reduced the anger of the upper caste section.

Also, since another SECC is being conducted it must be ensured that the data of the previous one is closely studied so that necessary changes can be made and this time the exercise can be done more smoothly.

Since there may be political and/or social repercussions of a caste census, data collected in SECC is not released. Even if it is published, it is incomplete which leaves the exercise unproductive.

Some people also believe that if caste is included in the census then it will intensify the already existing social divisions in India, and may lead to a marginalization of a particular community.

Also, by now we are all aware of how institutions like caste are mixed into politics and are used as vote banks of people. So, it will not be wrong to assume that SECC instead of serving its true purpose, will be used as a tactic by the political parties.

BENEFITS OF SECC

The importance of census is evident from the fact that census law was passed in India even before Independence, in 1948.

The Constitution of India lays down certain special provisions under which advancement can be made for a certain section of society. For example, Article 15(4) of the Indian Constitution allows for reservation in government jobs and schools to the backward classes. This section of society can be easily identified with the help of such a census.

People who have been uplifted with the help of these reservations and do not face economic or social inequality refuse to give up on these privileges, which is against the Constitution’s spirit. These people can also be identified with the help of such a census. Their benefits can be withdrawn, and be granted to someone who needs it.

India as a very pluralistic country, with various religions, caste, beliefs, and faiths need to be studied with a procedure that does not only provide quantitative data, but also qualitative data. This can help in future case studies too.

The study of data collected using SECC with databases of National Sample Surveys or National Family Health Surveys can help understand the complexities of the society in much more detail. For example, SECC determines that 23% of the population belongs to impoverished economic backgrounds, and Family Health Surveys also prove that the same section has a high infancy rate, then steps can be taken accordingly.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

The application of caste census raises issues of privacy, transparency, and methodology. These have to be settled so that the process is genuine. For example, there have been conflicts over the delimitation of units, so the constituencies can be divided in a better way. Also, the employees who are recruited temporarily for conducting census should be regular.

Even though the Census Act, 1948 has been revised multiple times, one problem remains unsolved. There remains the risk of manipulation of data. For example, the amendment of 1994 enforced punitive measures against manipulation. But since then, no measures to do the same have been taken by the government.

The manual consisting methodology of the census does not require compliance of people. This means that a person is not required to provide correct information. For this, laws will have to be made in a manner that does not violate the person’s right to privacy.

The best way to overcome these hurdles is to build trust in the administrative institutions and also ease communications between communities. The latter will help in building more co-operation and thus may help minimize the complexes.

Making stricter laws is not the only solution, as it will not address the root of the aforementioned concerns. Measures like confidence-building, engagement and transparency in operations seem to be more viable when it comes to handling a subject like caste which is an emotive element of people.