New Delhi:
The caste-based census has always been a controversial issue and now the Cabinet has left the issue to be decided by a panel of Group of Ministers (GoM). The GoM is likely to be headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
The panel has no time frame, but importantly the decision of the GoM will go back to the Cabinet.
It will examine whether caste should be included in the first phase or the third phase of census when biometrics will be taken.
An important problem the panel faces is to maintain uniformity. For example, castes seen as backward in some states may be counted among the upper caste in others.
Also, it needs to decide if the caste count be conducted by trained enumerators, rather than primary school teachers. And once the data is collected, which ministry will be responsible for storing them and updating them.
The panel will also examine how the data can be used for affirmative action.
Several political parties have made a pitch for conducting caste-based census, prominent among them is the Yadav troika.
Political parties, including the Samajwadi Party, RJD and JD-U have been strongly demanding inclusion of caste in the census exercise.
Those opposing caste-based census believe that it is a throwback to the medieval times and the census should be looking at the future and not the past.
The issue had figured prominently in the just-concluded budget session of Parliament when the Prime Minister had assured the members that government would take their views into account before deciding on the matter.
At his press conference on Monday, the Prime Minister said that he would ask the Cabinet to consider the views expressed in Parliament.
"I made a statement in Parliament in which I said that we shall take into account the views expressed in Parliament by various sections... and that I will ask the Cabinet to consider them. That process is on," Singh had said replying to a question on the issue.
Caste-based census was last conducted in the country in the year 1931. (With PTI inputs)
The panel has no time frame, but importantly the decision of the GoM will go back to the Cabinet.
It will examine whether caste should be included in the first phase or the third phase of census when biometrics will be taken.
An important problem the panel faces is to maintain uniformity. For example, castes seen as backward in some states may be counted among the upper caste in others.
Also, it needs to decide if the caste count be conducted by trained enumerators, rather than primary school teachers. And once the data is collected, which ministry will be responsible for storing them and updating them.
The panel will also examine how the data can be used for affirmative action.
Several political parties have made a pitch for conducting caste-based census, prominent among them is the Yadav troika.
Political parties, including the Samajwadi Party, RJD and JD-U have been strongly demanding inclusion of caste in the census exercise.
Those opposing caste-based census believe that it is a throwback to the medieval times and the census should be looking at the future and not the past.
The issue had figured prominently in the just-concluded budget session of Parliament when the Prime Minister had assured the members that government would take their views into account before deciding on the matter.
At his press conference on Monday, the Prime Minister said that he would ask the Cabinet to consider the views expressed in Parliament.
"I made a statement in Parliament in which I said that we shall take into account the views expressed in Parliament by various sections... and that I will ask the Cabinet to consider them. That process is on," Singh had said replying to a question on the issue.
Caste-based census was last conducted in the country in the year 1931. (With PTI inputs)
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