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Officials say the Census Act over 70-year-old would not require changes to allow enumerators who conduct census exercises to seek details of caste from the population.
They said that the last revised law in 1948 authorized the central government to seek details from the people as mentioned in the form.
All castes were listed in the census exercises conducted in British India between 1881 and 1931. But when the first independent India census in 1951, the then government decided not to count castes, except for the intended castes and tribes.
Ten years later, after 1961, the central government asked the states to conduct their own investigations and prepare a nationally specific OBC list if they hoped.
More than sixty years later, the government decided to enumerate castes in the next national census.
Officials noted that a census officer “may ask all such questions”, such as “may be directed to ask.”
The person with all questions will be legally required to answer such questions in the best way of his knowledge or beliefs.
Also read: Census is a mirror of past and present
However, no one would name any female member of his family, nor would anyone name her husband or deceased husband, or any other person who was used to forbidding her name.
Officials also stressed that the details shared by the population and census personnel cannot be used by anyone and are confidential.
The census activity started in April 2020 but was postponed due to the common pandemic.
publishing – May 11, 2025 at 12:44 pm IST
