Census going Backwards
HOW just some vocal members can compel the government to change its policies became evident once again on May 7, when OBC members of Lok Sabha compelled the government to include caste as a column in the ongoing Census survey - something that was abandoned after 1931 Census because " Every Census gives rise to a pestiferous deluge of representations, accompanied by highly problematic histories, asking for recognition of some alleged fact or hypothesis of which the Census as a department is not legally competent to judge and of which its recognition, if accorded, would be valueless.....For these reasons an abandonment of the return of caste would be viewed with relief by Census officers" (Census of India Report, 1931) BY doing so the Government has lost an opportunity to redefine OBCs (The present category of OBCs is unconstitutional as it equates caste with class. It could be true in 1931 but is definitely not in 2010). The inclusion of parameters like house ( kuchcha...