2011 Caste Census Data 'Unusable' Due To Mistakes: Centre To SC

In an affidavit, the Centre warned the Supreme Court that the 2011 caste census data is "fraught with mistakes and inaccuracies" The administration noted that the caste census performed in 2011 is "unusable" for any official purpose due to "inaccuracies" in its data. The Centre informed the Supreme Court that the census of backward castes is "administratively difficult and cumbersome."

The administration said that collecting data on backward class citizens (BCCs) during the forthcoming census is administratively hard and goes against the government's policy choice.

The Centre further informed the court that during the forthcoming population census in 2022, it will not gather any information on castes or backward classes other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

It went on to say that, unlike the constitutional need for collecting census data on SCs and STs, there is no requirement to submit OBC/BCC census information. The census data on SCs and STs is utilised for electoral constituency delimitation as well as seat reservation, as required by the Constitution.

The United Progressive Alliance administration conducted the 2011 caste census, which was the first caste-based census in India since the 1931 census. The first census was taken in 1881, and it has been done every ten years since then. While the previous Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) was held in 2011, the census for 2021 was postponed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and is now scheduled for February 2022.