Caste Census Data Could Help Us Take Superior Affirmative Action

Context: Fewer job avenues mean reservation demands will rise, and policy responses require reliable data.

Need for a Caste Census

• Data gap: All census exercises before our independence, starting from 1872, had a provision to collect information on caste, race and tribe. This was retained only for SCs and STs after 1947.
• Significant benefits from a policy point of view: Understanding people’s socio-economic status by caste and sub-caste can be valuable in designing policies for affirmative action and redistributive justice.
  • For e.g. The availability of data on religion was useful in highlighting the relative deprivation of minorities, as done by the Sachar committee.
• Demographic and political considerations: Most sample surveys have suggested that OBC groups constitute a significantly greater share of the population, probably over 40%, than their current quota of 27%. This has political mileage as it calls to expand reservations.
• Complexities associated with the absence of data: The absence of up-to-date caste data has prevented the judicious handling of demands from various social groups. 
  • OBC membership is large and heterogeneous, with vast intra-caste differences in socio-economic conditions. This varies within and across states.
  • There is some evidence to suggest that better-off groups among OBC castes have cornered a disproportionately large share of seats reserved for OBCs (creamy layer).
  • This has opened up the possibility of sub-classification of various caste groups among OBCs.
  • Demands from Jats, Marathas and Patels seeking reservations cannot be analysed scientifically.

Conclusion: The segregation of Indian society along caste lines in property relations, occupational structure, and human development outcomes is a reality that cannot be wished away.