The MTA Speaks: Government launches caste-based census, read the most accurate analysis by veteran Manoj Tibrewal Aakash

New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry on Monday issued the official gazette notification related to census and caste census under the Census Act, 1948. The country was waiting for this census for a long time.

Its biggest special thing is that for the first time after independence, there will be such a census in the country in which, along with the population, caste will also be ascertained—how many people of which caste live in the country.

Earlier, during the British rule, a caste census was conducted in India in the year 1931, after which a caste census was never conducted in the country. Senior journalist Manoj Tibrewal Aakash analyzed many aspects of census and caste census in his special show, "The MTA Speaks." What are its political and social meanings?

How will this entire process of caste census be completed? How will the census be conducted? For how many days will this campaign run? What are its advantages and disadvantages? After all, what is the reason that earlier the central government was against the caste census and now the government is ready?

Is there pressure from the opposition parties behind this, due to which the government bowed down? Why is the opposition still raising questions about the intentions of the government? Is there only politics behind this?

What changes are going to happen in the political equation of the country due to the census and caste count to be held just two years before the next general elections? Accurate analysis was done in this regard.

Important aspects of caste census

How will the caste data coming out of the census affect the political scenario of the country? First of all, we talk about the last census. A caste-free census was conducted in the country in 2011, but its data was not released.

It is a rule to be done every 10 years, but the census to be held in 2021 was postponed due to the Covid pandemic, but this time the census is going to be very special because this time the caste data will also come out.

Eye on big vote bank

Caste data will be very important in terms of the vote bank of political parties, so every party is keeping a close eye on it. After the notification issued on Monday, various agencies related to the census have become active.

In the first phase, staff will be appointed, trained, the format will be prepared, and fieldwork will be planned. This entire process will be completed in two phases. The first phase will be completed by October 1, 2026, while the second phase will be completed by March 1, 2027.

For this, midnight of March 1, 2027, will be considered as the reference date; that is, whatever the figures of the population and social status of the country at that time, the same will be recorded in the official records of India.

From this day onwards, the figures will start coming out in public. In remote areas and states with special geographical conditions like Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Uttarakhand, this process will be completed by October 2026, before other states.

This decision has been taken in view of the weather difficulties and inaccessible areas in these areas. October 1, 2026, will be considered as the reference date for these states.

This time the entire process of census will be based on digital technology, which also includes the option of mobile apps and self-counting. For this, first of all, a pro forma will be prepared.

This includes finalization of the questionnaire, i.e., the pro forma for the Housing Census and Population Census. Questions related to residential status and migration

There is a plan to field an army of about 34 lakh employees in this census; they will be properly trained, and after this, supervisors will also be appointed. Their training will last for about two months, in which they will be taught to use digital devices and mobile apps.

New columns and menus for caste, sub-caste, and OBC will be included in the software for digital calculation. During the process of housing census, a list of houses is prepared, and information related to residential status, facilities, and property is collected. In this process, enumerators go door-to-door and ask questions of families.

Data is collected on how the house is used residentially/commercially, the availability of drinking water, toilets, electricity, and other facilities, ownership of property, and the number of vehicles. After this, a population census will be calculated, which aims to collect demographic, social, and economic information about every person.

Enumerators again go door-to-door and ask questions related to the National Population Register (NPR) and census. This time 30 questions are likely to be asked, which will include questions related to name, age, gender, date of birth, marital status, education, employment, religion, caste and sub-sect, relationship with the head of the family, residential status, and migration.

Equations from Hindi Heartland to South

For the first time since independence, a caste census will be conducted along with the census in the country, in which all castes of OBC, SC, ST, and the general category will be counted. Under this, data on socioeconomic status, such as income, education, and employment, will also be collected. This data will form the basis of government schemes, reservation policies, and schemes related to social justice.

The Central Finance Commission also uses this data to give grants to the states. This data will be very important for socio-economic policies and reservation. This can change the equations from Hindi Heartland to South. Apart from the digital process, this time caste census will also be included in the census.

Earlier, also, information related to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was sought, but information about other castes was not taken during the census. But this time every person will be given the option to tell his caste, which is part of a long-standing demand. This entire campaign will run for 21 months.

Primary data of the census to be released in March 2027

The entire process of census will be completed by March 1, 2027. Primary data of the census can be released in March 2027, while it will take time till December 2027 to release the detailed data. Now we tell you another important thing. After the completion of the census work, the work of delimitation of Lok Sabha and assembly seats will start.

This work can start by 2028. During this time, a 33 percent reservation for women can also be implemented. That is, before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, the picture of seats reserved for women can be clear. After the census, a delimitation commission will be formed so that the Lok Sabha seats can be distributed according to the population.

There is a problem in the southern states regarding this because the population there is less than that of the North Indian states. In such a situation, they fear that their representation in the Lok Sabha may be reduced due to the reduction in seats. In such a situation, the government will have to deliberate a lot on delimitation.

However, the government has assured that the concerns of the southern states will be taken care of in the process of delimitation. This caste census is very important in terms of the vote bank of political parties. Therefore, it is very important to tell you here that earlier the central government was against the caste census, and now the government is ready.

For this, various opposition parties, including Congress, used to surround the government from the streets to the Parliament. The opposition parties were also successful in creating more pressure because the state governments of two states of the country, Bihar and Telangana, got the caste census done in their places.

Demand to increase the limit of reservation.

After this, the pressure on the central government had increased. Now that the central government has issued the notification, the reaction of the Congress has come to the fore.

Congress says that due to continuous demand and pressure, the Prime Minister had to bow down to the demand for a caste census. Be it Parliament or the Supreme Court, the Modi government had completely rejected the idea of ​​a caste census. And exactly 47 days ago, the government itself announced it.

Congress has once again raised the question that there is no mention of a caste census in today's gazette notification. So is this the same U-turn again, or will its details come out in the future? Congress demands that the Telangana state model should be adopted in the census; that is, not only the castes should be counted, but detailed information related to caste-wise social and economic status should also be collected.

Transparency is ensured in policy making.

On the other hand, the Modi government believes that this census step will promote social and economic equality, as well as ensure transparency in policymaking.

Although caste census has many benefits, its potential disadvantages and risks are also not less. Many believe that it can create many challenges at the social and political level. The roots of problems related to discrimination on the basis of caste in the country are very deep. A caste census can further deepen the caste division already present in the society.

The caste census may increase the population of some communities more than expected, due to which the demand for increasing the limit of reservation may arise. Overall, this census will make the politics of India even more complex.