SC Asks Govt to Consider Conducting 2027 Caste Census Not Just on Basis of Self Declaration
New Delhi: While hearing a public interest litigation on Monday (February 2), the Supreme Court directed the Union Government and the Census Operations Directorate to consider a suggestion of the petitioner that the caste enumeration scheduled for 2027 as part of the national census, should be done on the basis of verifiable mechanism instead of just self-declaration, reported LiveLaw.
Acknowledging that the petitioner Akash Goel has raised a “relevant issue”, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi refrained from considering the matter judicially but observed that it has to be looked at by the government under the Census Act 1958.
Petitioner Goel had raised concerns over the proposed caste enumeration as part of the census, especially the reliance on self-declaration without any verifiable mechanism.
Counsel for the petitioner stated that there was no opposition to the caste census but said that it should not be based only on self-declaration.
"There is no reason to doubt that the respondent authorities, with the aid and assistance of the domain experts, must have evolved a robust mechanism in order to rule out a mistake, as apprehended by the petitioner for several like minded persons. Nevertheless, the petitioner has flagged some relevant issues," the court observed, reported LiveLaw.
The court in its order, recorded the petitioner's grievance that so far no guidelines, questionnaire, or transparent methodology had been placed in the public domain regarding recording and enumeration of caste data.
The bench disposed of the writ petition with a direction to the respondents to consider the suggestions and issues raised by or on behalf of the petitioner and said that the petitioner may forward a copy of the writ petition to the authorities as a supplementary representation.
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