http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/bric-yard/india-kicks-controversial-caste-census
India kicks off controversial caste census
Census will match caste to poverty data
Jason OverdorfJune 30, 2011 01:47
India launched the first census of its myriad castes since it gained
independence from Britain in 1947, reports the Economic Times.
The census started in a remote village, 45 km north of the capital of
the state of Tripura, the paper said. It is slated to be finished by
December.
The caste data is being gathered alongside economic data designed to
count the number of Indians living in poverty, and, as such, will
likely impact the design of India's controversial system of quotas in
jobs and higher education for the so-called "Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes" and "Other Backward Classes." Currently, there are
quotas for these castes and tribes in government jobs and higher
education, but the percentage of placements reserved under the quota
system has been called into question from both sides. The percentages
-- 22.5% for SC/STs and 27% for OBCs -- are theoretically meant to
match the groups' presence in the general population, but no effort
has been made to ascertain their numbers since the British left India.
However, as ET reports, the caste census itself will be limited in
scope, as it will only allow respondents to be classed as Scheduled
Tribes, Scheduled Castes, others and no caste -- which means it would
not examine the status of individual castes within the quota
categories, and not look closely at the OBC group at all.
This may be a calculated move, as there are frequent claims against or
in favor of the inclusion of various castes -- especially among the
OBC group -- in the quota system. Matching caste to socio-economic
status, with numbers to back up the conclusions, would be a political
hot potato, because "Reservations" (i.e. quotas) have become a popular
vote-getting strategy.
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