Caste Census in India - Various aspects and analysis

A quick pointwise update on the affirmative action (reservations) programme of India, and Caste Census

 Caste Census in India - Various aspects and analysis

---

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

---

• Reservations in India: The affirmative action programme created during the founding moments of the republic is indeed one of the remarkable provisions to have been worked out by our Constitution makers. It spread the principle of justice in a deeply unequal and oppressive social order such as India's. It is undeniable that reservation provisions have done a good job, but with time, some reassessment is warranted.
• Various arguments on this debate:

1. The 50% cap on reservations has not been discussed enough, trapped as it is in ideological misgivings. That limit can be breached, with the right arguments.
2. Absence of reservation doesn't make the playing field level. Reservations actually offer competition among candidates.
3. Caste census will identify the exact number of all castes in India, and since "caste" is the source of disadvantage but also privilege, this counting is needed
4. Caste has produced huge advantages for some communities that must be recorded officially (today's thinking is that caste needs to be counted only for the disadvantaged)
5. Indian State has worked in favour of privileged castes far more (though not through reservations)
6. Two caste censuses were done, and data never made public (Union govt - SECC 2011, Karnataka govt - 2015). Those in power have controlled all information (and hence, power).
7. Counting castes will be negative in short-term as caste identities will harden, but not counting is much worse! Ruling parties usually don't want to upset their ongoing rule, and oppose such counting.
8. It is unlikely that any govt. will go for a proper caste census, unless something drastic changes in polity. The privileged in power are not letting it happen (of all parties)! They fear that once the size of privileged become clear (they are too less), the unprivileged will demand their share in goodies - too problematic.
9. Caste census must happen with the General census, not separately
10. For present-day Hindutva politics, essentially an upper-caste politics, need for numbers forces them to get more "lower" castes under the Hindutva banner; but a caste census will expose all the truth, and make many elite very upset (even as space between them and "lower" castes shrinks) - Dalits and OBCs are in bitter struggle all over India

• The need for a Caste Census:

1. The 50% cap is a prudent one, and reservation policy in India is an element existing in a democratic constitutional India, that subscribes to "equality of citizens" (any extension in 50% is an exception)
2. Reservations as done in India has led to creation of elites in castes and communities; these hinder equality in their own castes; so finally the thrust ought to be on democracy and not caste-perpetuation
3. A caste census is an absolute must - not just for reservations policy, but to know how many are at the margins of society (and their occupations and problems, etc.), that will enable right policymaking
4. Despite India's courts asking for concrete caste data for decades, States shy away from it
5. Many myths will be broken once exact caste counting is done - for example: the myth that Lingayats in Karnataka are most numerous (they are not) and hence must be placated always (same is the situation in many states and with many castes)
6. Existing govt. wants to pander to the backward classes (more than 50% of population) to hold on to power; it may try separating general census from caste census though both must be done together

• Summary: If many pending changes can be made in the system, to make it even more broad-based, then a new and more vibrant India may emerge.
• EXAM QUESTIONS: (1) Explain the three major shortcomings of the affirmative action programme (reservations) being practised in India, today. How can they be rectified? (2) What are the various benefits of a reservation programme, in a deeply hierarchical society like India? Explain.

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

#AffirmativeAction #Reservations #Constitution #CasteCensus

Join UPSC Self Prep course | Online Course (PT Gurukul)  | Covid Special Course | Join PT courses

* Content sourced from free internet sources (publications, PIB site, international sites, etc.). Take your own subscriptions. Copyrights acknowledged.