Chennai, July 8:
Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday urged the Census Commission of India to adopt a standardised system for recording caste data in the upcoming nationwide caste census, warning that allowing respondents to freely write their caste names could lead to confusion and inaccuracies.
In a statement, the Pattali Makkal Katchi leader expressed concern over reports that pilot surveys in 16 states are currently following a method where individuals are asked to enter their caste names in a blank field. He cautioned that such an approach could undermine the objective of collecting reliable and uniform data.
Anbumani pointed to the experience of the 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census, where a similar method reportedly resulted in nearly 4.67 million caste entries across the country. He noted that the data generated from that exercise faced widespread criticism due to inconsistencies and was ultimately not used for policy purposes.
Highlighting the complexity of caste identities, he said many communities identify themselves through sub-castes rather than officially recognised names. This, he warned, could lead to multiple entries for the same community, thereby distorting the final dataset.
To address this issue, Anbumani suggested that census authorities provide respondents with a pre-approved list of officially recognised castes and record both the caste name and a corresponding code number. Such a system, he said, would ensure uniformity, reduce duplication, and improve the accuracy of the data collected.
Citing the Bihar Caste Survey 2023 as a successful example, he noted that Bihar had adopted a pre-listed caste selection method and obtained more reliable results. He stressed that accurate caste data is crucial for designing effective social justice policies and welfare schemes, and warned that any misinformation could compromise the credibility of the entire exercise.
Anbumani urged the Commission to consider adopting the Bihar model when the population enumeration phase begins next year.