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The Modi government’s recent endorsement of a caste census, initially ardently backed by opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, signifies a substantial transformation in India’s policy framework. If taken at face value, it promises to make up for historical wrongs and make it possible to deliver and target welfare policies more precisely. On closer inspection, though, the caste census puts the country’s business climate under stress, threatens economic stability, and has the potential to widen cultural differences. Instead of being data-driven policy reform, the proposal’s current political articulation shifts dangerously near to populist rhetoric.
Many social and political groups, especially regional parties and the opposition led by the Congress, have long demanded the caste census. It has become a powerful political instrument as a result of Rahul Gandhi’s outspoken support for it in recent years, which is centred on the slogan “jitni abadi utna haq” (rights proportionate to population). The main contention has been that more equitable policymaking and resource distribution among India’s marginalised communities can only result from a thorough census of caste data.
The Danger of a Divisive Census
The primary concern with the proposed caste census is not the data collection process per se, but rather the justification and purpose behind it. Although caste is still an unpleasantly social reality in India, bringing it to the forefront through a state-sponsored identification runs the risk of legitimising and perpetuating divisions that today’s India should strive to avoid.
- The state runs the risk of encouraging a fragmented sense of national identity by institutionalising caste data in this way. An official caste census may unintentionally increase caste consciousness, promoting caste conflicts, vote-bank governance, and social unrest rather than weakening caste systems. History is replete with examples of caste being exploited for political gains; a caste census could become the bedrock for that exploitation.
- The expansion of reservations into the private sector is among the cause’s most contentious objectives. Advocates contend that doing so would address systemic disparities in employment. However, this action will discourage investment, weaken merit-based hiring, and increase inefficiencies in key economic sectors. This might seriously hurt India’s appeal to large multinational companies and international investors at a time when it needs to be competitive around the world. India’s economic and technological developments are becoming more and more fundamental to the country’s growth narrative. A caste census followed by a demand for privatized reservation sends a signal of policy unpredictability and populist overreach. Short-term political variables would benefit from it, but long-term investor confidence and job creation would suffer.
Census Must Serve Welfare, Not Wedge Politics
However, data is not necessarily disruptive. In contrast, an impartial and systematic compilation of caste data may be a useful instrument for more effectively focussing government assistance programs. The key, however, is how the data is used.
The Justice Rohini Commission, tasked with examining the sub-categorization of Other Backward Classes (OBCs), unearthed an alarming reality – nearly 97% of OBC benefits were cornered by just 25% of the castes, leaving over 900 OBC communities severely underrepresented in government schemes and jobs. This severely uneven distribution calls for refined targeting and internal equity within existing quotas, not an expansion or escalation of reservation demands.
Furthermore, a positive step has been taken with the Supreme Court’s recent decision in State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh, 2020, which endorses subcategorisation within scheduled castes. It puts need ahead of sheer numbers and acknowledges the disparity within underdeveloped groups. Corrective justice, not competitive victimhood, should therefore be the main focus.
What Should Be Done Instead?
If a caste census is to be conducted, it must adhere to certain foundational principles that prioritize data-driven governance over divisive identity politics:
- Caste data must only be utilised to improve public service delivery, streamline welfare programs, and address intra-caste inequities. Political mobilisation or new quotas shouldn’t be based on it.
- The 50% reservation cap has already been upheld by the Supreme Court. Instead of creating an overwhelming number of new, unsustainable entitlements, the government must make sure that redistribution takes place within these preexisting boundaries.
- The census should give socioeconomic factors – literacy, income, access to healthcare, and education – priority above just counting caste. This would guarantee that poverty rather than caste becomes the determining factor for public assistance.
- The caste census’s methodology and results, together with clear standards for interpreting the data, must be made publicly available. This will lessen politicisation and foster public trust.
- The state must resist pressures to introduce private sector reservations, which would severely dent India’s ease of doing business. Instead, it should focus on public-private partnerships in skilling and training backward communities to compete in open markets.
The precedent that such a census would set must also be taken into account. In the future, calls for parallel enumerations based on religion, race, or linguistic identity may gain momentum if caste data turns into a political tool. This might threaten India’s already delicate social fabric by igniting a wave of identity-based politics.
Conclusion: Towards Unity, Not Uniformity
The Modi government must walk the tightrope with a steady hand and clear vision. Instead of imitating the opposition’s misguided rhetoric, it ought to pave a new course that blends inclusive growth, economic liberalisation, and inclusive growth. Let caste data inform governance, not become its master. India must avoid becoming a country where a person’s destiny is determined by their birth rather than their potential. Instead of upholding caste structures under a state-approved banner, the objective must be to demolish them. Then and only then can we genuinely claim that we are creating a New India, one where everyone is treated with dignity, opportunity, and merit.
As Dr. B.R. Ambedkar wisely said “You cannot build anything on the foundation of caste. You cannot build up a nation. You cannot build up a morality.” Let us honour that wisdom by using data to empower, not divide.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.