The Supreme Court on Monday urged the Union government to ensure that India’s first caste census since Independence is conducted on the basis of verifiable and accurate data, recording its expectation that the authorities would evolve a “robust mechanism” with expert assistance to avoid errors in the caste enumeration exercise.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi described the issue as “important” and said it was in agreement, in principle, with the concern that caste enumeration cannot rest merely on unverified self-declarations.
“In principle, we agree with you. The points raised are important and relevant. Enumeration should be accurate and all inclusions and exclusions should be on some sound basis,” observed the bench, while hearing a petition questioning the methodology proposed for the upcoming Census 2027.
The court agreed with the PIL petitioner’s contentions that such an enumeration would have long-term implications for governance, policy-making and social welfare.
It, however, stopped short of issuing binding directions, noting that census operations are conducted by domain experts and that the design of enumeration mechanisms must largely be left to the executive.
The petition was filed by Aakash Goel and argued by senior advocate Mukta Gupta, who clarified that the challenge was not to caste enumeration itself but to the manner in which it is proposed to be carried out.
“For the first time since Independence, Census 2027 will include caste enumeration for all individuals. This data will be long-lasting and will be used for social welfare and other benefits. It cannot be merely on the basis of self-declaration,” Gupta submitted.
She warned that collecting caste data without any verifiable basis could prove “hazardous”, especially when the Union government is expected to spend around ₹13,000 crore on the decadal exercise. While she stressed that intrusive inquiries were not being sought, Gupta argued that census data must rely on some form of verifiable material to ensure credibility and prevent misuse.
The bench noted that while it agreed with the concern in principle, the technical design of the census fell within the executive’s domain. “Census is conducted by experts and they devise rules for it. It is a question that should be left to the government,” said the bench, while asking whether the petitioner had made any representation to the authorities.
Gupta informed the court that a representation had been submitted last year to the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, but a subsequent notification permitted caste details to be collected on self-declaration alone.
Disposing of the writ petition, the court urged authorities to create a robust, expert-backed mechanism to eliminate errors in caste enumeration.
“We have no reason to doubt that the competent authority, with the aid and assistance of domain experts, would evolve a robust mechanism in order to leave out any mistake as apprehended by the petitioner,” the bench said in its order.
At the same time, it directed the respondent authorities to consider the issues and suggestions raised by the petitioner in his earlier representation as well as in the writ petition. The court permitted the petitioner to forward a copy of the petition as a supplementary representation.
Census 2027 will mark the first comprehensive caste enumeration exercise since Independence, apart from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, which have been counted in previous censuses. The decision to include caste data was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 30 last year, amid concerns over politicisation of separate caste surveys conducted by some states. The Centre has said caste enumeration will be part of the main census exercise to ensure transparency and social harmony.
On January 22, the government notified the Census 2027 questionnaire, which will include 33 questions. These range from housing conditions, ownership status, building material and household amenities to access to internet, LPG/PNG connections, type of fuel used for cooking, and basic demographic details.
Officials will also collect information on whether the head of the household belongs to a Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or “other”, alongside data on the number of household members, married couples, assets and access to basic facilities.
The 16th census, delayed from 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will be conducted in two phases. The houselisting and housing census will begin on April 1, 2026, followed by population enumeration from February 1, 2027. The entire data collection process is expected to conclude by March 1, 2027, though final publication of the data may take two to three years.
Officials have said that caste data will be collected electronically during the population enumeration phase, with an option for self-enumeration provided shortly before the houselisting exercise.
Curated by Dr. Elena Rodriguez
