Socio Economic Caste Census - Need and Concerns
Recently, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to appoint a commission to formulate a methodology to collect caste-wise particulars of its population and use that to come up with a report.
Historical Background of Census in India
- 1830: The first complete census of India was conducted in 1830 by Henry Walter in Dacca (now Dhaka) in which the statistics of the population with sex, broad age group, and the houses with their amenities were collected.
- 1836-37: The second Census was conducted in 1836-37 by Fort St.George according to the government website of Census India.
- 1881: The first synchronous census was taken under British rule in 1881, by W.C. Plowden, Census Commissioner of India.
- In this census, the main emphasis was not only laid on complete coverage but also on the classification of demographic, economic and social characteristic took in the entire continent of British India (except Kashmir).
- In Independent India, too, political disturbances led to the exclusion of Assam from the 1981 census and Jammu and Kashmir from the 1991 census.
- The census in independent India is a part of the Ministry of Home Affairs unlike British Census being controlled by an independent statistical authority answerable to the British Parliament directly.
Significance of Census and Socio-Economic Caste Census
- Basis for reviewing the country's progress in the past decade: It provides comprehensive and detailed data on the whole population in addition to demographic, social and economic characteristics by the lowest administrative or geographical level and related rates and indicators.
- Monitoring the ongoing schemes of government & plan for future: The census deeply reflects the social and economic changes and also the influences of the political processes.
- Its role has changed from an instrument of governance to an instrument in development planning.
- Proper assessment of population status: It provides necessary data enabling the assessment of the population status in India during the inter-census period.
- It aims to monitor demographic, social and economic changes taking place during the same period in various administrative divisions.
- Use of Census Data in Business: The census data are used by business to determine where to start or expand a business and to determine potential customers for new products.
- Use of Census Data in Civil Rights Protection: In addition to heavy use of Decennial Census data in the context of redistricting and voting rights, data from the Census are used to examine equality in jobs and education opportunities.
Concerns associated with Caste Census
- Counting caste may help solidify or harden identities: It would be disingenuous to ignore the emotive element of caste and the political and social repercussions of a caste census as there have been concerns that counting caste may help solidify or harden identities.
- Undercounting: The high net undercounts can provide misleading public impressions about the size or growth of the population in a given location.
- Collusive manipulation: An individual could deliberately give an incorrect response to a question and there could be collusion between individuals to give incorrect responses to one or more questions.
- An individual could deliberately give incorrect responses to one or more questions in connivance with an enumerator.
- A hollow threat of providing false information: The magnitude of the fine has remained unchanged at one thousand rupees for a long time.
- Difficulty in capturing caste based information for census: The major concern is whether an institution such as caste can even be captured completely by the Census.
- The questions remain on whether the SECC is able to cover the effects of caste as an aspect of Indian social structure in everyday life
- Handling erroneous data: It is observed that India’s census law is inadequate vis-à-vis manipulation by individuals, collusive (politically motivated) manipulation, and its punitive provisions are ineffectual.
- Time lag between each Census and delay in release of data: The delay in release of data has important repercussions to understanding social change since data may remain un-released or released only in parts.
Features of New Framework of Caste Census
- Improvement in Census Planning: In order to improve Census-taking procedures in the future, it is important to understand which groups are undercounted at the highest rates in the past Censuses.
- Linking aggregated Census data to other large datasets: It is important to synchronize census data to other large datasets such as the National Sample Surveys or the National Family Health Surveys that cover issues that the Census exercises do not, such as maternal health.
- It would be significant for a more comprehensive analysis, enabling the utilisation of the large body of data that already exists.
- Employing precise, faster and cost effective methods: The care must be taken to ensure that digital alternatives and linking of data sources involving Census operations are inclusive and non-discriminatory
- Census and the SECC are projects of governance as well as of academic interest: It is required to have a closer and continuous engagement between functionaries of the Census and SECC, along with academics and other stakeholders concerned.
Road ahead
- It is important to build trust in the impartiality of government institutions and facilitate dialogue between communities.
- The stricter laws and harsher penalties will not address the root cause of the problem and will also remain inoperable or ineffective in the face of mass violation.
- The stocktaking of the previous exercise, before another SECC is conducted, is crucial to enable the Census to facilitate effective policy work and academic reflection.
- The concerns about methodology, relevance, rigour, dissemination, transparency and privacy need to be taken seriously if the caste census exercise is to do what it was set up to do.
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