Almost two-and-a-half years after its first deadline, the Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 is finally in the completion stage with all the States including the populous one like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar wrapping up the enumeration process.
As per the data available from the Union Rural Development Ministry which is executing the survey through the State Governments, as on December 16, 2011, at least 99.46 per cent of the total enumeration block have been surveyed with only Delhi lagging behind. Just 93 percent of the total enumeration blocks (33, 367 EBs) has been completed in the national capital. The delay is being attributed to the recent Assembly elections.
There are a total of over 24 lakh enumeration blocks across the States in the country with roughly 125 households in each block.
However, as many States are yet in the process of publishing draft list seeking objections and claims, the final census data is likely to take another next six months. Earlier, the final list was expected September last year.
The census, launched in June 2011, was initially supposed to be completed within seven months but the deadline was later informally shifted to June 2012.
The census will rank households based on their socio-economic status to prepare a Below Poverty line (BPl) list while gathering information on the caste-wise breakup of the population in the country and providing the socio-economic profile of various castes.
The delay has already thrown spanner on the Planning Commission’s plans to formulate its 12th Five Year Plan with the data to be used for the targeted subsidy schemes and welfare measures of the Government, besides the Aadhaar programme of the Unique Identification Authority of India.
Moreover, the SECC is crucial since it will form the basis of several welfare and poverty alleviation schemes of the government including the public distribution system, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana — national health insurance scheme — Indira Awaas Yojana and the ambitious Direct Benefits Transfer scheme. The survey is also expected to address the shortcomings of the 2002 BPl survey.