Collection Of OBC Information In Census 2021 Not Feasible : Centre Tells Supreme Court Opposing Maharashtra's Plea

In response to Maharashtra Government's petition for sharing of census data of OBCs collected by Centre in 2011-2013, the Centre has informed the Supreme Court that the exclusion of any caste other than Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribe from purview of Census is a conscious policy decision taken by Central Government. In an affidavit filed through Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Centre has argued that in such a situation any direction from Court to Census Department to include enumeration of Socio Economic data to extent relating to Backward Class Of Citizens (BCCs) of Rural India in Upcoming Census 2021 as prayed by the State of Maharashtra would tantamount to interfering with a policy decision.The Central Government issued a notification on 7th Jan 2020, prescribing a series of information to be collected during Census 2021 and it includes information relating to Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe, it does not refer to any other caste.The Central Government has argued that the enumeration of OBCs/ BCCs has been always adjudged to be administratively complex. Further, it has been a consistent view that Caste census of Backward classes is administratively difficult and cumbersome, it has suffered and will suffer both on account of completeness and accuracy of the data.According to Centre, the inaccuracy of the data is evident from the infirmities of the Socio-Economic Caste Census(SECC) 2011 data making it unusable for any official purpose and can therefore not be mentioned as source of information for population data in any official documentCentre's affidavit has been filed in a writ petition filed by the State of Maharashtra, seeking directions to the Union of India to disclose the Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 (SECC-2011), raw caste data of Other Backward Classes and to gather data of socio economic to the extent relating to caste of citizens of Rural India in its 2020 CensusA Bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar on Thursday adjourned the matter till 26th October 2021. On last occasion (24th August 2021) the Bench had granted three weeks time to the Union of India to respond to Maharashtra's petition.Caste Enumeration In SECC 2011 was fraught With Mistakes And InaccuraciesCiting result of the analysis of SECC data pertaining to State of Maharashtra, the Centre has stated that the caste data was fraught with mistakes, and details available in record of the Census is not reliable either for purpose of any reservation, whether in admission, employment or elections to local authorities.No Reliable Or Dependable Caste Census Available To Be Basis Of Constitutional Exercise:The Union of India has submitted that considering the mistakes committed by the enumerators, inherent flaws in the manner of conducting census and several other factors, there is no reliable or dependable castes based census data which can be the basis of any Constitutional or statutory exercise like reservations in admission, promotion or local body elections.Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 (SECC-2011) Was Not An OBC Survey: The Centre in its affidavit has submitted that contrary to what has been alleged, the SECC 2011 was not a survey of the Other Backward Classes, but a comprehensive exercise to enumerate caste status of all households in the country.Further, the socio economic data of the households including their 'deprivations' were used to identify poor households and used in anti-poverty implementation programmes by the Central Government Ministries, the caste data has not been disclosed and has been kept with the Office of the Registrar General India for various reasons but primarily for the technical flaws that were noticed in the raw caste/tribe SECC data which makes it unusable. Therefore the said data has not been made official for any purposes and cannot be mentioned as a source of information for population data in any official document.Caste Wise Enumeration In Indian Census Given Up As Matter Of Policy 1951: Centre has stated that Indian census is the largest administrative and statistical exercise in the world, a caste wise enumeration in census has been given up as a matter of policy from 1951 onwards and thus castes other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have not been enumerated in any of the census since 1951 till today. Centre Decided To Conduct SECC 2021 After Numerous Demands For Enumeration Of Castes Other Than Scheduled Castes:According to the Centre, in view of numerous demands for enumerating castes other than scheduled castes in population census 2011, the Union Cabinet in 2011 decided to conduct the SECC, wherein caste of the household along with social economic status on the identified parameters was directed to be collected. The SECC was therefore to be conducted as a separate exercise after population enumeration phase was over and it was decided to collect the 'caste' of all persons as returned by households and formulate a suitable legal regime for collection of data...

Collection Of OBC Information In Census 2021 Not Feasible : Centre Tells Supreme Court Opposing Maharashtra's Plea

Srishti Ojha

The Centre has said that the case enumeration in the 2011 SECC exercise was "fraught with inaccuracies".

Tags