Add pre-listed caste categories to census document: Anbumani Ramadoss

CHENNAI: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday (July 7) urged the Census Commission of India to adopt a system of selecting caste names from an official list during the upcoming caste census, warning that allowing respondents to freely write their caste names could create confusion and undermine the exercise's objective.

In a statement, Anbumani expressed concern over reports that pilot surveys for the caste census being conducted in 16 states are following a method in which respondents are asked to write their caste names in a blank field.

He said a similar approach adopted during the 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census had led to significant inconsistencies, with the exercise reportedly identifying nearly 4.67 million caste entries across the country. The resulting data faced criticism and was ultimately not used, he noted.

Arguing that many communities identify themselves through sub-castes rather than officially recognised caste names, Anbumani said the current method could result in multiple entries for the same community and distort the final data.

The PMK leader suggested that census authorities provide respondents with a list of officially recognised castes and record both the caste name and corresponding code number selected by them. Such a system, he said, would ensure uniformity and improve the accuracy of the data collected.

Citing Bihar's 2023 caste survey, Anbumani said the state had successfully adopted a pre-listed caste selection method and obtained reliable results.

He stressed that the primary objective of the caste census is to determine the population of various communities so that social justice measures and welfare schemes can be designed more effectively.

Any misinformation in recording caste details, he warned, could compromise the credibility and purpose of the nationwide exercise.

Anbumani urged the Census Commission to adopt the Bihar model when the population enumeration phase begins next year.