Ponnam seeks separate OBC/SEBC category in Census 2027

Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce a separate and distinct OBC/SEBC category in the Census 2027. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Prabhakar emphasized that the absence of such a category could compromise the accuracy and utility of caste enumeration data. He proposed standardized caste coding and a scientific approach to identifying backward communities, noting that caste identity and OBC/SEBC classification are not necessarily the same, as they can differ between Central and State lists.

Prabhakar highlighted the challenges posed by the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011, where variations in spelling, local nomenclature, synonyms, sub-castes, and phonetic differences led to numerous separate caste entries, complicating verification, aggregation, and classification. He urged the Centre to develop a comprehensive State-wise master caste directory and assign unique digital codes to recognized castes and communities.

Additionally, Prabhakar suggested preserving both the caste declared by a respondent and its corresponding administrative classification to ensure transparency and traceability of the data. He also cited Telangana’s Socio-Economic, Educational, Employment, Political, and Caste (SEEEPC) Survey 2024-25 as a model for structured caste and socio-economic data collection, emphasizing the importance of such data for policies related to reservation, representation, education, employment, and welfare.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hindu's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.