Census 2027: Caste Data Credibility at Risk Without Consensus

A pre-determined list produces usable estimates, he said. The challenge at the national level is scale and mobility. Migrants move across state lines. Caste names and social hierarchies shift between regions. A list that works in Bihar may not capture how the same community identifies in Maharashtra.

Himanshu called for the government to publish a draft caste list and open it for public discussion and scrutiny before the February enumeration begins. The only proper way to do it, he said, is by making a list of castes and opening it up for public discussion as well as scrutiny before population enumeration begins. That process would resolve contentious issues of caste categorization and work in favour of the Census process's credibility.

House-listing operations, which involve a preliminary survey of households, are likely to conclude on September 30. Population enumeration will take place in two phases. For Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, it begins in September. For the rest of the country, it starts in February. Himanshu said the lack of clarity on caste data collection this close to the first enumeration phase raises questions about the seriousness of the effort.

Caste data was collected in censuses before independence, the last being in 1931. After independence, the census limited caste collection to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The push for a broader count dates to 1957. Census 2027 is the first time the registrar general will attempt it.

Himanshu's argument is that a pre-determined list is the only way to get usable estimates. The list requires collation across states and open consultation. He said the government should make the list, release it, and let citizens, academics and caste groups weigh in before the enumerators go door to door.