Information crucial to examine quotas Caste data hole in first meet on census update Doubts over whether the information would be sought at all
Preparations for the second Socio-Economic Caste Census have begun, but collection of caste-specific data was not discussed at a review meeting held in December, casting doubts over whether the information would be sought at all.
An inter-ministerial committee has been formed with secretaries from the rural development, housing and urban affairs and social justice ministries and officials of the Niti Aayog to oversee the SECC update.
A meeting of the committee was held in December 2020. “The first meeting discussed modalities of data collection and revisiting the deprivation points, inclusion and exclusion criteria. There was no discussion on collection of caste data,” a rural development