Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to integrate caste census with the upcoming national decadal census and said census data has always provided the bedrock for framing policies and targeting specific interventions for the socio-economic development of the underprivileged.
In a Demi-Official letter to Mr Modi, copies of which were released to the media here, he drew his attention on the need for the Union Government to immediately plan and commence the preparations for conducting a comprehensive caste census in India.
Considering the fact that the previous census due in 2021 could not be conducted and the crucial caste related data outcomes would touch the lives of crores of deserving people in our country, it should not be delayed any further, he said.
“Census data has always provided the bedrock for framing policies and targeting specific interventions for the socio-economic development of the underprivileged”, he said, adding, “Since caste has historically been a key determinant of the prospects of social progress in our society, it is essential that factual data on it is made available in public domain.”
“Only this can empower various stakeholders and policymakers to analyze the impact of our past programs and plan the strategies for the future”, Mr Stalin said.
Pointing out that no contemporary data is available since the last caste census was conducted in India only in 1931, he said in the last 90 years, the demographic and socio-economic landscape of our country has undergone many changes. But the underprivileged sections of our society continue to remain backward, in spite of numerous past policy actions.
Hence, it is vital that contemporary data derived from a common standard process at the national level is cumulated to address all the pressing issues related to social justice, equity and inclusivity, he added.
The Chief Minister said some State Governments like Bihar have made good attempts in this direction by successfully conducting a caste-based surveys and some have announced such steps.
He said “although these state specific initiatives and their data outcomes are very useful in providing insights into our society and its needs, they lack the advantage of a nationwide
comparability of inputs and processes”.
“In addition, they lack the statutory stamp without a legislative backing for such data collection since census as a subject is in Union list. Hence, we are of the considered
view that only a statutory Census of India, with critical caste related data inputs, would
be able to provide an appropriate platform for upholding social justice”, he added.
“In the light of the above, integrating the caste census with the proposed national decadal census alone can provide comprehensive and reliable data on the caste composition of our
society and its reflection on the socio-economic indicators”, he said.
This will enable evidence-based policymaking, helping all of us to ensure an equitable and
inclusive development.
Undertaking this task concurrently with the decadal census would not only ensure comparability of data across the nation but also optimize resource utilization, Mr Stalin said.
“Hence, I earnestly request you to integrate caste census with the upcoming national decadal census. I have no doubt that this initiative will be a monumental step to take the benefits of development to the most vulnerable sections and build a stronger, more inclusive India. I look forward to your personal intervention in this regard”, he said.
