TVK govt to conduct Social Justice Survey after caste enumeration in national census, says TN Governor

The survey is meant to gather detailed socio-economic & caste-based data to help identify gaps in representation in education, employment & public services for various communities.

Tamil Nadu Governor R V Arlekar addresses the first session of the newly constituted state assembly under the TVK-led government |X/@lokbhavan_tn

Chennai: The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government will conduct a Social Justice Survey following the completion of caste enumeration in the Population Census, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar announced Thursday.

The Social Justice Survey is aimed at gathering detailed socio-economic and caste-based data at the state level to assess the current status of various communities. It is expected to help identify gaps in representation in education, employment and public services.

It is a fundamental policy of the government to ensure that every community gets due representation, Arlekar said, addressing the first session of the 17th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

“After the Union government completes the caste enumeration, the government of Tamil Nadu will conduct a Social Justice Survey. The state will first urge the Union government to expedite and complete the caste enumeration as part of the ongoing national census process. Only after that will Tamil Nadu proceed with its own survey,” the Governor announced.

He added that the move aligns with the government’s commitment to protecting the existing 69 percent reservation policy and social justice, particularly for marginalised communities and minorities.

The government will stand as a “truly secular, social justice government”, the Governor emphasised.

The population census, which includes caste enumeration, is currently underway. For a long time, Tamil Nadu has been calling for accurate caste data to ensure equitable distribution of opportunities and to safeguard its reservation framework, which exceeds the 50 percent cap set by the Supreme Court under the ‘social and educational backwardness’ criteria.

The announcement comes as part of a broader policy roadmap outlined in the TVK government’s vision document, that focuses on social security, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and transparent governance.

After the Centre’s caste enumeration, the state survey is expected to provide more Tamil Nadu-specific insights for policymaking.

Besides this, Arlekar also reaffirmed Tamil Nadu’s commitment to the two-language policy of Tamil and English, strong opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and NEET, and demands for greater state autonomy in education.

(Edited by Tony Rai)