Congress flags caste census format, calls open-ended questions serious flaw

The Congress on Wednesday criticised the Centre’s approach to the ongoing caste census, calling the use of open-ended questions instead of a standardised drop-down list a “very serious flaw”. Party general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh alleged that the format could result in multiple spellings and names for the same caste, potentially affecting the accuracy of the exercise.

Ramesh said the Congress has conducted 17 press conferences across the country over the past four days to reiterate its demand for a caste census that produces reliable data and advances social justice. He argued that accurate questions are essential to obtaining accurate data, which in turn is necessary for equitable representation and welfare measures.

The Congress has also raised the issue directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi wrote to Modi on August 20, objecting to the existing questionnaire and calling for it to be replaced with one based on a certified list of castes.

According to Ramesh, the Congress has suggested following the model used in caste surveys conducted in Telangana and Bihar, where a pre-prepared caste list is used to ensure greater consistency in identifying communities and sub-castes.

The party has also sought consultations with political parties, experts and members of the public before finalising a revised questionnaire. Ramesh said no response had yet been received to the August 20 letter.

with inputs from PTI