Importance of Caste Census

Last month, the Supreme Court upheld the 27% quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in all-India quota seats for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test and reiterated that reservation for backward classes was not an exception, but an extension of . The principle of equality under Article 15(1) of the Constitution. The judgment highlighted how open competitive examinations give the illusion of wide inequalities in educational facilities, freedom to pursue such education and equal opportunities ignoring social prejudices. The Court pointed out that such inequalities are not limited to the issue of access to a good education or financial constraints, but also to the psychological and social impact of inherited cultural capital (communication skills, books, pronunciation, academic achievements, social networks, etc.). effects are limited. .), which ensures the subliminal training of upper caste children for high-grade performance. The Constituent Assembly followed a similar philosophy, introducing constitutional provisions that enable the government to make special provisions for the upliftment of the “lower castes”.

However, despite the underlying good intentions, positive discrimination has been a controversial topic. Many oppose affirmative actions like reservation; They believe that such provisions only perpetuate caste distinctions and they call for a “casteless society”. As Justice DY Chandrachud observed, “castelessness” is a privilege that only the upper caste can afford because their caste privilege has been translated into social, political and economic capital. On the other hand, those who belong to the lower castes must retain their caste identity to claim the benefits of measures such as reservation, which recognize historical disadvantages.

Promises without proper data

But even for those who are aware of these issues, today in our country due to caste and class politics it is difficult to blindly trust the intention of the state. Political parties often promise reservations for communities when they come to power without any credible data collection exercise to justify the decision. Not long ago, the Supreme Court struck down the over 50% reservation for the Maratha community in Maharashtra, which was the limit set in the state. Indira Sawhney The case, noting that “when more people aspire to backwardness than to advance, the country itself becomes stagnant as to which position is not in line with constitutional objectives”.

the need for a reliable practice

In this background, it can be said that the confidence of our citizens cannot be restored unless credible exercise of data collection regarding caste is undertaken. Even though data relating to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been included in the census, there is no such data on OBCs. The Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) conducted in 2011 has been called “defective” and “unreliable”. Even the Mandal Commission’s recommendations were criticized for being based on the “personal knowledge” of the members of the Commission and on sample surveys. In Indira Sawhney In the case, the Supreme Court held that states should conclude “backwardness” of a particular section of people only after due assessment and objective assessment. It said such findings should be subject to periodic review by a permanent body of experts. The National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993, under section 11, provides that the Central Government may revise the lists every 10 years to exclude those classes which have not remained backward and include new backward classes. This exercise has not been done till date. Last year, several calls were made to include caste data (including OBCs) in the 2021 Census, and the matter reached the Supreme Court. However, the government took the stand that the 2011 SECC was “flawed” and “not usable”. Since the census could not be conducted in 2021 due to the pandemic, it is scheduled to be held in 2022.

Caste data will enable independent research not only on the question of who does and who does not need affirmative action, but also on the effectiveness of the measure. As long as reservations result from violent movements and political pressures, any affirmative action efforts will always be under the shadow of caste and class politics. Unbiased data and subsequent research can be avoided authentic Efforts to uplift the most backward classes from the shadow of caste and class politics and be informative to people from both sides of the spectrum – in favor and against reservation. It is not reservation that creates the present division in our society but the misuse or alleged misuse of reservation.

Pallavi Hooda is Delhi based Advocate.