Lawfully yours: By Retired Justice K Chandru | Blank caste entry will defeat enumeration purpose

Despite repeated requests from various stakeholders, including major political parties, Census 2027 is set to have a blank column for respondents to specify their caste. The Centre has argued that providing a drop-down menu is impractical given the extraordinary number of caste divisions in society. Do you think this explanation is acceptable? Will leaving the caste column blank undermine the very purpose of conducting a caste census alongside the enumeration?

— R Saravanan, Chennai

n the 2011 Census, there was a column for caste, and most of today's data is based on that alongside projected figures from IIT. However, several issues were raised regarding the inclusion of a caste column. Only after the Bihar government conducted its enumeration did it become a national issue, leading the Central government to agree to collect caste details. Yet, the Centre has compromised the process by asking respondents to state their caste on their own, rather than providing enumerators with an approved list.

As is well known, castes often use titles, and recording a title instead of the actual caste will create confusion. Many distinct castes share the same title, making it impossible to identify whether a group belongs to an advanced section or a backward class. Furthermore, various castes have sub-castes that are pronounced differently across regions. The present attempt by the Centre will only defeat the very purpose of caste enumeration. The data collected will be difficult to collate and analyse. The Centre's half-hearted approach seems designed to defeat the objective of gathering such data.

Abolish NEET to end ill-treatment of candidates

After witnessing children being subjected to inhumane checks and frisking at NEET exam centres, ostensibly to protect the integrity of the test, it's shocking that the CBI suspects subject experts engaged by the NTA of involvement in paper leaks. Preliminary findings reportedly suggest that NTA facilities even lack CCTV surveillance to prevent fraudulent activities. According to the CBI case, experts accused of leaking question papers were repeatedly engaged without adequate verification, allowing the malpractice to continue with impunity. Why is the system so cruel to students, treating them like criminals in the name of security, while allegedly allowing question paper leaks at the highest levels with basic surveillance safeguards missing?

— K Muruganantham, Mylapore, Chennai

The fundamental issue is whether we need NEET at all or simply a fair examination process. Tamil Nadu almost unanimously demands the abolition of NEET, in which case all grievances regarding the manhandling and ill-treatment of candidates would disappear.

Despite technological advancements, the agency has been unable to conduct a fair examination. Ours is perhaps the only country where armed forces are deployed to conduct a student test, making us a laughing stock globally. To prevent the ill-treatment of our children simply because they choose to write NEET, the best solution is to abolish NEET and allow each State to implement its own legally authorised selection system.