GS2 · 15 marks · 250 words

How far do you think a caste census is a necessary step toward realising the goals of social justice and equitable development, despite the administrative challenges it poses?

Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2023–2025

Vulnerable SectionsWelfare SchemesSC, ST and OBCPolicy Design and Implementation

Syllabus: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

How toppers approached it

From all 4 answers · about 260 words · 25% drew a diagram.

Opening

  • A date or context3 of 4
  • No separate opening1 of 4

Body

  • Points3 of 4
  • Points and prose1 of 4

Close

  • A way forward3 of 4
  • No separate close1 of 4

The toppers’ answers

Pakshal SecretryAIR 8 · CSE 2025 · 203 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening · a recent event

Recently Cabinet and CCPA decided to include caste census data in the pending 2027 Census.

Body · points

Caste Census - Necessary step

  1. To ensure Data Driven policy making.

  2. Tailored Benefit for Telangana caste census data → for personalised benefit.

  3. Pro-poor excercise → would lead to social justice.

  4. X Ray of society → Highlights progress of 75 years of affirmative action.

  5. Ensure Substantive representation of communities.

  1. Judicial Necessity (eg Davinder Singh Judgement → Subcategorisation based on Quantifiable Data)

  2. Help in efficient delivery of government services (eg use of SECC (2011) data for DBT

Challenges it poses

  1. Difficulty of knowing caste → people are reluctant → Sanskritsation to claim upper status

  2. Setback of SECC, 2011 → identified more than 46 lakh caste

  3. Challenge of collecting data → verification

  4. May embolden caste identities and prejudices.

  5. Challenge of demands of further affirmative action

  6. Will further promote caste based politics.

  7. Appeasement of castes for political gains.

Way forward

  1. Digital Census

  2. utilising caste data in pro-poor policy making

  3. Ensuring integrity of data

Close · a way forward

"We need to count caste today, so that we can hope for future, where it is not counted" - Milan Vaishnav (expert)

More on Vulnerable Sections

Legal and institutional protection for groups the state singles out.

All GS2 questions on Vulnerable Sections