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CONSENSUS ON CASTE CENSUS

Syllabus:

GS-2:

  • Government policies and interventions
  • Vulnerable section of the society

Why in the News?

The Union Government recently agreed to conduct a caste census as part of the decadal Census, reflecting political opportunism rather than a commitment to social justice.

CONSENSUS ON CASTE CENSUS

HISTORY OF MANDAL POLITICS

  • OBC Mobilization: The Mandal Commission empowered backward castes by legitimizing demands for representation, despite protests from upper castes and urban elite institutions.
  • Elite Resistance: The post-Mandal backlash revealed deep caste biases within dominant institutions like judiciary, media, and bureaucracy resisting redistribution of power and resources.
  • Political Betrayal: Many parties, after initial gains from Mandal politics, abandoned OBC-centric agendas and failed to bring structural change in caste hierarchies.
  • EWS Diversion: Introduction of EWS reservations diluted the caste-based affirmative action framework, ignoring historical social discrimination faced by backward communities.
  • Institutional Failure: Mandal-era ideals lacked institutional follow-through, leaving the vision of inclusive governance and proportional representation incomplete.

BJP’S POLITICAL APPROPRIATION STRATEGY

  • Strategic Shift: BJP strategically embraced caste census after resisting it, aiming to counter opposition narratives and appeal to backward caste voters.
  • Symbolic Identity: The PM’s self-identification as an OBC leader serves as a symbolic inclusion, with limited impact on actual policy transformation.
  • Congress Critique: BJP criticized Congress for neglecting leaders like Sitaram Kesri, aiming to portray itself as the true patron of OBC empowerment.
  • Issue Neutralization: BJP seeks to deflate opposition agendas by adopting their causes, converting them into administrative issues without radical potential.
  • Hindutva Overlay: BJP’s caste outreach remains subordinate to its Hindutva project, preventing deep structural shifts in caste-based inequalities.

CONGRESS AND LOST OPPORTUNITIES

  • Weak Campaign: Rahul Gandhi’s campaign for caste census failed to mobilize mass support, reflecting Congress’s weakening organizational strength among backward communities.
  • Policy Vacuum: Congress hasn’t proposed clear policy mechanisms to implement caste data, undermining its credibility on social justice.
  • Neglected Reforms: Congress never followed through on initiatives like the Equal Opportunity Commission, exposing its wavering commitment to institutional equality.
  • Abandoned Narrative: Despite initiating discourse on “jitni abadi, utna haq,” Congress has stopped pushing the issue in recent political campaigns.
  • Electoral Setback: Caste census advocacy failed to improve Congress’s electoral performance, indicating a disconnect between narrative and voter base.

LIMITS OF SYMBOLIC CENSUS PROMISE

  • No Timeline: The government hasn’t specified when or how caste enumeration will happen, leaving serious doubts about implementation intent.
  • Unclear Process: It’s unclear whether caste questions will be part of the Census proper or a standalone socio-economic survey, as in 2011.
  • State Undermined: States like Bihar have conducted their own surveys, but the Centre’s vague announcement undermines federal efforts without offering clarity.
  • Data Disconnection: Without guarantees on data analysis or usage, enumeration risks becoming a symbolic gesture rather than a tool of policy.
  • Delayed Action: There’s no commitment to timeline for publishing caste tables, allowing indefinite delays and bureaucratic inaction.

BARRIERS TO SOCIAL JUSTICE PATHWAYS

  • Dominant Capture: Dominant OBC groups and upper castes may resist redistributive outcomes, leading to elite capture of reservation benefits.
  • Tokenism Prevails: BJP’s caste politics is more performative than transformative, lacking commitment to structural redistribution of power and resources.
  • Congress Drift: Congress’s incoherent messaging and policy gaps show inattention to caste inequities, weakening opposition credibility.
  • Intra-OBC Gaps: Calls for “hissedari” ignore divisions within OBCs, where elite subgroups monopolize state benefits over marginalized subgroups.
  • Stalled Mobilization: With political disinterest growing, caste justice movements face a vacuum, making grassroots mobilization harder.

MISSING POLICY INSTITUTIONS AND MECHANISMS

  • EO Commission: The long-demanded Equal Opportunity Commission remains a non-starter, stalling progress on anti-discrimination policy frameworks.
  • No Legal Mandate: There’s no law backing caste census execution, leaving the project exposed to administrative inertia or political sabotage.
  • Ambiguous Usage: No clarity exists on how caste data will be used for welfare schemes, making it prone to manipulation.
  • Sub-Categorization Delay: Efforts to sub-divide OBCs in the central list have stalled, hurting equitable reservation distribution.
  • Capacity Gaps: Census mechanisms lack readiness for handling complex caste data, risking inaccurate collection or politicized interpretation.

 

FUTURE OF CASTE POLITICS IN INDIA

  • Shaky Unity: The current consensus hides deep ideological conflicts, risking collapse once real redistribution debates begin.
  • Policy Vacuum: Without follow-through, caste census will not alter reservation structures or improve socio-economic mobility for marginalized communities.
  • Regional Divergence: Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana may push harder, creating friction with central policies and political priorities.
  • Judicial Scrutiny: Future challenges over reservation redistribution may attract judicial intervention, potentially stalling policy innovation.
  • Grassroots Push: Social movements may again lead the charge, demanding data transparency, representation, and affirmative justice mechanisms.

CONCLUSION

The caste census, once envisioned as a tool of justice, risks becoming another symbolic compromise. Without structural follow-through, it will fail to redistribute power or ensure institutional equality. Both BJP and Congress seem unwilling to challenge existing caste hierarchies, instead seeking short-term electoral gains.

UPSC MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. The idea of caste census has resurfaced in Indian political discourse. Critically analyze its potential as a tool for social justice and the limitations of current political consensus. (250 words)