Caste census questionnaire misleading, say Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi
What's the story
Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to withdraw the current caste census questionnaire. The leaders argued that the open-ended question format used in the census is misleading and could lead to inaccurate data. They stressed that accurate caste data is essential for implementing social justice policies in India.
Data concerns
Open-ended questions could lead to inaccurate data
The Congress leaders highlighted that the open-ended question format could result in a single caste being recorded under different names and sub-castes. This, they said, would scatter data and make it difficult to use.
"If the same caste is recorded under different names and sub-castes, the data will be scattered," Kharge wrote.
He warned this could lead to a large number of caste categories, making it hard to analyze the data generated by the census.
Policy impact
Inaccurate data could impact government decisions
Kharge and Gandhi argued that inaccurate data could impact government decisions on education, employment, welfare schemes, and social justice.
They also expressed concern over the lack of clarity about the size of India's Other Backward Classes (OBC) population due to the current census method.
"We would not even know how large the OBC population is in India," they said.
New approach
Demand for new questionnaire
The Congress leaders demanded a new questionnaire based on a verified list of castes.
They also called for extensive consultation with political parties, experts, and the public before finalizing the new format.
Kharge suggested that conducting the count based on a pre-prepared and verified caste list is a practical solution, similar to surveys conducted in Telangana and Bihar.