Notes of Nagesh

A recent critique has raised alarms about a proposed caste census in India, arguing it risks diverting the nation from development and undermining the Constitution’s foundational values. The claim suggests that such a census would entrench caste divisions, reinforcing their salience in society. However, this perspective is misguided. Far from being a threat, a caste census is a vital tool for advancing India’s development and upholding the Constitution’s commitment to equality and social justice. Aligning with Constitutional Mandates India’s Constitution is a transformative document, explicitly designed to address historical injustices and promote equality. Articles 15, 16, and 46 mandate affirmative action to uplift marginalized groups, including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. These provisions recognize that caste has historically shaped access to resources, opportunities, and dignity. However, effective implementation of these constitutional guaran...

The Politics of Caste Enumeration in India: Opportunities, Deflections, and Historical Patterns Introduction: The Promise and Peril of Census 2027 Sociologist Trina Vithayathil, author of Counting Caste (Cambridge University Press, published online April 30, 2025), argues that India’s Census 2027 presents a unique opportunity to map the intersections of caste, gender, and religion. However, without institutional accountability and transparency, the census risks perpetuating historical patterns of bureaucratic deflection—strategies used by the state to suppress meaningful caste data and analysis. Historically, successive Indian governments have promised caste enumeration only to backtrack, raising the question: Will Census 2027 be a genuine step toward caste equity, or another deflection? The Bihar Caste Survey: A Case Study in Decentralization In October 2023, the Government of Bihar published preliminary findings from its first statewide caste survey, followed by a full report in Nov...

T.Chiranjeevulu, IAS Ret కేంద్ర ప్రభుత్వం 2025 ఏప్రిల్ 30న జనగణనలో కుల గణన చేపట్టాలని తీసుకున్న నిర్ణయం భారతదేశంలో సామాజిక న్యాయం కోసం ఒక చారిత్రక అడుగు. ఇది ఓబీసీల చిరకాల డిమాండ్‌ను నెరవేర్చడమే కాక, వెనుకబడిన కులాలకు న్యాయం అందించే దిశగా కొత్త అధ్యాయాన్ని సృష్టిస్తుంది. అయితే, ఈ కుల గణన పారదర్శకంగా, విశ్వసనీయంగా జరగాలంటే కొన్ని కీలక అంశాలను పరిగణనలోకి తీసుకోవాలి. ఈ వ్యాసంలో పారదర్శకత, విశ్వసనీయత కోసం అవసరమైన సూచనలను చర్చిస్తాం. కుల గణన యొక్క ప్రాముఖ్యత భారతదేశంలో కులం ఒక సామాజిక వాస్తవికత. ఇది వివక్ష, అణచివేతలకు కారణమవుతుంది. కుల గణన ద్వారా సామాజిక, ఆర్థిక వెనుకబాటుతనాన్ని గుర్తించి, సమస్యలకు పరిష్కారాలు చూపే అవకాశం ఉంది. ఇది ఓబీసీ రిజర్వేషన్ల సమీక్ష, ఉప-వర్గీకరణ, మానవ అభివృద్ధి సూచికల మెరుగుదలకు దోహదపడుతుంది. పారదర్శకత కోసం సూచనలు కుల గణన విజయవంతంగా, నమ్మకంగా జరగాలంటే కింది సూచనలు పాటించాలి: సెన్సస్ డిపార్ట్‌మెంట్ ఆధ్వర్యంలో నిర్వహణ కుల గణన సెన్సస్ డిపార్ట్‌మెంట్ ఆధ్వర్యంలో జరగాలి, ఎందుకంటే ఈ విభాగంలో శిక్షణ పొందిన అధికారులు, అనుభవం, పర్యవేక్షణ నైపుణ్యం ఉంటాయి. గతంలో (2011) గ్రామీ...

Caste enumeration must adopt a scientific and legally protected approach — not just for accuracy, but to avoid political distortion and constitutional violations By   Telangana Today Published Date - 5 June 2025, 08:17 PM https://telanganatoday.com/opinion-caste-census-needs-legal-validity-case-for-amending-census-act By Dr Vakulabharanam Krishna Mohan Rao India is home to one of the most socially, culturally and economically diverse populations in the world — comprising Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), denotified tribes, semi-nomadic communities, pastoral groups, artisan castes, fisherfolk, forest-dwelling communities, and hundreds of region-specific backward classes. Also Read Editorial: Finally, green signal for caste census Opinion: Key messages of World Day of Social Justice In a nation of such layered identities, caste remains a deeply sensitive issue, closely tied to access, dignity and opportunity. It is not merely a political d...

Acceding to the demand for caste census now is akin to BJP's earlier retreats in order to become acceptable to the Indian electorate. The present retreat is unlikely to be temporary Fading appeal? Sourced by the Telegraph Parakala Prabhakar Published 01.06.25, 06:42 AM When the noise is cancelled out, the signal is unmistakable: the unravelling of the Hindutva majoritarian dispensation is underway. The latest pointer to this is the Union government conceding to the demand for a caste census. This unambiguously signals secular, diverse and tolerant India shrugging off the toxic majoritarian creed that dominated it for more than a decade. It is the moment of truth for Hindutva’s understanding of India’s socioeconomic and political reality. The Hindutva episteme stands on two pillars. The first one is schismogenetic, an outgrowth of its adversarial relation to everything Islamic. V.D. Savarkar, its foremost ideologue, framed Hindutva as an outcome of the “year to year, decade to decad...

Nagaland’s Lesson : Census 2011’s tribal homogeneity simplified data collection, but non-tribal areas required careful handling. Nationally, SECC 2011’s inconsistent caste reporting underscores the need for standardization. Application to Caste Census : A caste census must produce reliable, actionable data, avoiding SECC’s pitfalls of unverified or duplicative caste entries. Strategies : Legal Framework : Amend the Census Act, 1948, to mandate caste enumeration and standardize categories, as recommended by experts and supported by the 2025 approval. Predefined Categories : Develop a national caste database in consultation with state governments and caste associations, building on Nagaland’s consultation with tribal bodies. Pilot Surveys : Test enumeration in diverse states (e.g., Bihar for caste complexity, Nagaland for tribal focus) to refine methods, mirroring Nagaland’s phased approach.

Why India must get the Caste Census right  Counting caste is a mirror to the lived realities of millions and a vital step toward evidence-based policymaking Updated - May 12, 2025 01:38 am IST K. ASHOK VARDHAN SHETTY ‘Collection of caste data must go beyond the decennial Census’ Source : https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/why-india-must-get-the-caste-census-right/article69564756.ece The Narendra Modi government’s decision to include caste enumeration in the next Census is one that is bold, transformative and commendable. Counting caste is not capitulation to identity politics. It is a mirror to the lived realities of millions. It marks a vital step towards evidence-based policymaking to build a more just and inclusive India. A nation that refuses to see itself cannot hope to heal itself. Post-Independence, India attempted to abolish caste while simultaneously pursuing social justice — a textbook example of policy schizophrenia, as the two goals are fundamentally incompatibl...

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-05-08/a-caste-census-will-reveal-india-s-worst-kept-secret The hierarchical identity system continues to divide society — nearly 100 years after calls for its abolition. May 9, 2025 at 1:30 AM GMT+5:30 By Andy Mukherjee Andy Mukherjee is a Bloomberg Opinion For the first time in nearly 100 years, India will get 1.4 billion people to name their caste in a census. Presenting the biggest obstacle to India’s embrace of modernity, the caste system divides Hindus into rigid categories that govern every aspect of life. The last successful exercise to record this ancient, hierarchical social identity, conducted by British colonial rulers in 1931, threw up more than 4,000 answers. (There was another attempt in 2011, but it didn’t quite work; an open-ended question generated 4.6 million replies. The government decided the caste data was worthless.) Bloomberg Opinion For people to discard this abhorrent marker, it’s important for the state ...

---Justice V. Eswaraiah The demand for a caste census has sparked widespread debate, exposing various perspectives. For many, it seems to be an uncomfortable reality. In Telangana, objections have been raised about the comprehensive family survey questionnaire, which aims to assess the socio-economic conditions of various communities. Such a survey is essential to understand which communities lack basic amenities. Without this data, fair representation and allocation of resources—whether in local, state, or national elections—remain unattainable. Criticism about collecting property details in the survey, citing privacy concerns, overlooks the necessity of understanding economic disparities. Knowing who lives in proper houses versus huts, who has assets, and who lacks basic facilities helps identify communities deprived of resources, education, and livelihood opportunities. Only with such data can the constitutional promise of social, economic, and political justice be fulfilled. The Ne...

*కులరహిత వ్యవస్థకు తొలి అడుగు కులగణన!!* *---జస్టిస్ ఈశ్వరయ్య* కులగణనపై అనేక మంది అనేక వ్యాఖ్యలు చేస్తూ తమ అసలు రూపం ప్రకటిస్తున్నారు. కులగణన చాలామందికి గొంతు దిగని పచ్చివెలక్కాయలా మారిందనిపిస్తుంది. తెలంగాణలో కులగణన, సమగ్ర కుటుంబ సర్వే ప్రశ్నాపత్రంపై కొందరు అభ్యంతరాలు చెబుతున్నారు. కనీస సదుపాయాల లభ్యత పరంగా వివిధ సముదాయాలు ఎలాంటి పరిస్థితుల్లో ఉన్నాయో తెలియాలంటే సమగ్ర కుటుంబ సర్వే అవసరం. అసెంబ్లీ, పార్లమెంటులు కాదు, కనీసం స్థానిక సంస్థల ఎన్నికల్లోనూ ఎన్నడూ ప్రాతినిధ్యం లభించని కొన్ని సముదాయాలున్నాయి. రాజకీయ ప్రాతినిధ్యం ఏ వర్గానికి, ఏ సముదాయానికి ఎంత ఉందో తెలుసుకోకుండా రిజర్వేషన్లు ఇవ్వడం సాధ్యం కాదు. కాబట్టి రాజకీయ అనే పదం గురించిన అభ్యంతరాలు అర్థం లేనివి. కుటుంబ సర్వేలో ఆస్తుల వివరాలు ఎందుకు ఇవ్వాలని కొందరు అడుగుతున్నారు. ఇదేదో వ్యక్తిగత హక్కులకు భంగమైనట్లు వాదిస్తున్నారు. సంపాదన వివరాలు తెలియజేసి ఆదాయపన్ను చెల్లించడం పౌరుల బాధ్యత కాదా? వివిధ సముదాయాల ఆర్థిక స్థితి గతులు తెలుసుకోవడం కూడా సర్వే ముఖ్యమైన లక్ష్యం. కాబట్టి పక్కా ఇంట్లో ఉంటున్నారా? పూరిగుడిసెలో ఉంటున్నారా అనే ప్రశ్నలు అడగ...

. A precise understanding of caste-based differences in landownership could return the focus to social justice. https://scroll.in/article/1064261/?s=09 ♦️* With direct implications for reservations in education and public sector jobs, welfare provisions and political mobilisation, caste censuses could be decisive to uncovering power relations in the country, writes Sudheesh RC.  ♦️Mapping land ownership as part of the caste census could uncover key patterns about power, resources. ♦️Land remains the most important asset for Indians, but at the same time, ownership is highly skewed by caste.

*What can be done about this? The issue is in the domain of governance. It is a policy matter,"* the bench told senior advocate Ravishankar Jandyala and advocate Sravan Kumar Karanam, appearing for the petitioner. Jandyala submitted that several countries have done it but India is yet to do. *"The Indra Sawhney judgement of 1992 (Mandal Commission verdict) has said that this census has to be done periodically,"* he contended. https://www.telegraphindia.com/amp/india/supreme-court-refuses-to-entertain-plea-for-caste-census-says-issue-in-domain-of-governance/cid/2045290

Each of these contains a grain of truth, but they are presented in a way that masks the big picture Written by  Yogendra Yadav September 3, 2024 07:43 IST https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/yogendra-yadav-writes-ten-half-truths-about-caste-census-9546946/ True, the principal impulse behind the caste census is to understand the nature and extent of maldistribution of resources, assets and opportunities suffered by communities at the receiving end of the caste system.(Illustration by C R Sasikumar) Advertisement Karl Mannheim, the Hungarian sociologist who founded the sub-discipline of sociology of knowledge, used the word ideology in a peculiar way. For him, “ideology” refers to false beliefs or mental fictions that serve to veil the true nature of a society. His usage of the word, or his quest to reduce ideas to their social base, did not become popular outside a tiny professional circle. But if you are looking for one example that would fit Mannheim’s description, o...

Chinnaiah Jangam Aug 19, 2024     Instead of building a robust ideology that can challenge Hindutva – a task they have failed to carry out – many liberals are busy delegitimising social justice politics. Rahul Gandhi has become a target of attack for them because of his insistence on the need for caste enumeration Rahul Gandhi holding up the Constitution of India and a picture of Dr B.R. Ambedkar. Photo: X/@RahulGandhi On July 31, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, in his  Indian Express  column  ‘Caste Questions to Rahul Gandhi,’ derided the Leader of the Opposition for demanding a caste census in parliament. According to Mehta, “Invocation of caste becomes a substitute for serious thinking and will not serve the cause of social justice or healthy institutions.” He begins his article by laying out the unacceptable aspects of caste injustice and dehumanisation that continue even today but then bemoans Gandhi’s caste census demand for leading us to the “suffocating cul-de-sac o...