Caste Census 2027 methodology controversy tests social justice governance

Livemint - Politics · 29 Aug 2026 · 2 min read
Prelims · Polity Mains · GS2 Social justice High relevance

Congress leaders demand scrapping of Census 2027 questionnaire over concerns about open-ended caste enumeration methodology, arguing it will distort OBC data and undermine social justice policies.

Key points

Congress leadership including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have written to PM Modi opposing the current Census 2027 questionnaire format for caste enumeration.

The controversial Question 10 uses an open-ended format for caste recording instead of a pre-compiled list, marking the first caste enumeration since 1931.

Opposition concerns highlight that regional variations in caste names will fragment data, making it unusable for policy formulation on reservations and welfare schemes.

[GS2-Governance] This connects to constitutional debates under Articles 15-16 about affirmative action, as inaccurate OBC data could impact reservation policies and social justice implementation.

The absence of dedicated OBC column contrasts with SC/ST enumeration methods, potentially obscuring the true size of backward classes population.

[GS1-Society] The controversy reflects India's complex caste demography where same castes have multiple regional names, requiring standardized classification for policy purposes.

Congress proposes adopting Bihar/Telangana-style dropdown caste lists using SEBC and Anthropological Survey data for accurate enumeration.

The digital census methodology records caste declarations as entered in apps without verification, raising data integrity concerns.

Way Forward: Government should create a standardized caste classification system, conduct pre-census ethnographic surveys, establish an expert committee for methodology review, and implement multi-level verification for caste data collection.

Key terms

SEBC lists

Socially and Educationally Backward Classes lists maintained by states under National Commission for Backward Classes Act 2018. These form the constitutional basis for OBC reservations and are crucial for UPSC's governance and social justice topics.

Census 2027

The decennial population enumeration exercise under the Census Act 1948, notable for reintroducing full caste enumeration after 90 years. For UPSC, it's significant for demographic policy-making, federal finance distribution, and social justice implementation.

OBC enumeration

Process of counting Other Backward Classes populations, crucial for implementing Mandal Commission recommendations (Article 340) and reservation policies under Articles 15(4) and 16(4). Accurate data is vital for proportional representation and welfare scheme targeting.

Population Enumeration phase

The second phase of Census operations where demographic and socio-economic data is collected through house-to-house surveys. For UPSC, it's important for understanding data collection methodologies and governance implementation challenges.