Why BJP’s sudden U-turn on caste census?
The Narendra Modi government’s surprise announcement of going ahead with the enumeration of castes in the forthcoming census exercise marks a complete U-turn on the issue. The BJP-led NDA government had for long indicated its opposition to the demand for a caste-based census, even as the Congress and several regional parties had been pressing for it. Their argument was that such a census was necessary to give an objective picture of the social status of several communities in the country.
The move comes barely six months ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. However, the Centre has not revealed when the much-delayed census exercise will take place.
The last census was conducted in 2011 while the decennial exercise could not be undertaken in 2021 owing to the Covid pandemic.
Why the long gap?
The last caste census was conducted in 1931 during the British era. The 1941 census, held during World War II, also had the data on caste but it was never released.
The data collected in the census exercises held since 1951 includes the number of individuals belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and of various religious denominations. However, there has been no count of caste groups other than SCs and STs.
Caste enumeration was a regular feature during the British rule from 1881 to 1931. The practice was discontinued from the first census of Independent India in 1951.
What led to SECC?
The UPA government had, under pressure from regional parties like the RJD, Samajwadi Party, JDU and the DMK (who were seeking a caste census), formed a group of ministers under then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. On the basis of its suggestions, it was decided to hold a separate Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) after the census exercise got over.
What changed post 2020?
While the census exercise could not be undertaken in 2021 owing to the Covid pandemic, three states
Bihar, and Congress-ruled Telangana and Karnataka — have conducted their own caste surveys.
Bihar published the data in 2023, when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar led the JDU-RJD-Congress government.
The Telangana Government released its ‘Socio Economic, Educational, Employment, Political, and Caste Survey’ report in February 2024.
Why the clamour?
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the consolidation of SC, ST and Other Backward Classes (OBC) votes around the Congress-led INDIA bloc made a dent in the BJP’s vote share, as it could garner only 240 seats in the Lok Sabha, 32 short of a simple majority.
This might have forced the BJP to have a rethink on conducting a caste-based survey. The Congress, meanwhile, is taking full credit for the government’s change of stance, with the party coming up with posters claiming its victory on the issue.
India