With the government of the Union deciding to list the caste in the next exercise of the census, the main anthropologists and scientists of the population in the country have argued that the challenge first to undertake these exercises in the total number of the total number. At present, there is no integral repository of such separate groups from the constitutional lists of the programmed castes (SC), the programmed tribes (STS) and the other backward classes (OBC).
The 1931 census of India, the last to enumerate the castes in the country, had had 4,147 castes and different subcasts throughout the country, which included some 300 groups of castes that had Christianity as their religion and Thet followed, and Thatt followed and supposed Assumptions and followed and followed and followed him and followed him and supposed him and supposed him and supposed it and supposed it. 500 that followed and 500 that followed and 500 that followed and academic articles that have analyzed this particular census.
In particular, the 1931 exercise had asked the enumerators not to insist on the information of the “Muslim, Christians, Sikhs, Jainists, Buddhists and Hindu Aryan or Brahman”, but register it if they are provided.
Today, there are more than 3,651 communities classified as OBC, 1,170 communities classified as SC, and around 850 communities categorized as STS (including the general essay, since many slimers are found in multiple states and regions).
In addition to this, the only registration of castes or total communities living in India is contained in the anthropological study of India India people Volumes, published after a seven -year project that had tabulated 4,635 “communities” and hundreds of its sub -hosts and subgroups. This list included communities classified as SC, ST and OBC, separated from which it had counted 2,203 castes and communities (mainly general category).
“The only first step here is to start with the list of castes and communities that need to be listed. The Office of the General Registrar of India and the Census Commissioner must consult with academics, people, groups of caste, political groups and the public on the list. List. List. List. List. List. List. List. List. List. List. “B. Bhagat, list of the list of migrations and usban. The International Institute of Population Sciences, said The Hindu.
Inflated data
In the absence of a concrete list of castes and communities to be listed, the SECC in 2011 showed more than 46 Lakh different “castes”, with many citizens who enter their last names under the field for the caste, thus inflating the numbers.
Professor Bhagat, who has written widely on the methodologies and the impact of the caste enumeration exercise of 1931, continued: “The census commissioner in charge of the 1931 census, JJ Hutton had led with the same methodology.” According to the census reports published since the time, Hutton had noticed that he had tasks to publish lists of caste and communities projects, consider public protests, incorporate their suggestions and preferences before reaching a list.
A senior official of the Anthropological Study of India, who wanted to remain in anonymity, agreed with Prof. Dr. Bhagat’s argument on the starting point for any caste enumeration exercise.
“Another problem here would be the problem of how India understands the caste from 2025. It must be seen as a dynamic phenomenon. There may be new caste names now that did not exist before. In addition, the enumerators must explain the linguistic variations in the names of caste and regional diversity. This is reality,” added Professor Bhagat.
The 1931 census report had also recognized it. An example of where several groups of castes associated with dairy agriculture in the United Provinces had begun to build a coalition and identify as “Yadavs” for when the 1931 census was underway.
Similarly, certain tribes and castes, which were simply known for a term umbrella, during the decades since independence affirmed their subgroup identities in an attempt to reject colonial classifications, which has led to Sparts.
Classification, next step
Once there is a consensus on the list of castes and communities that need to be listed, another challenge will be or classify them, added Professor Bhagat.
According to the reports of the 1931 census, the then Government could not reach how to classify the thesis communities, which leads many of them in the list of castes, tribes and careers, all at the same time, depending on the regional variation. Even now, there are several communities whose classification varies according to the state they reside.
“Anyway, list the castes and public notification of these lists for the discussion is of the utmost importance,” Prof. Dr. Bhagat said. At least now “there is a previous [listing] To do it was to do it “regionally broken down.”
Published – May 2, 2025 08:08 am isst