Editor's Pick: The politics of caste data

A multi-party team from Bihar that met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for a caste-based census across the country failed to get an assurance on it. However, it is learnt that the PM has not rejected the possibility either. Caste census is a demand that many parties across the country have raised, mainly to find a justification to cross the constitutionally mandated 50% cap on reservations. States such as Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu that have already crossed the 50% ceiling are in the legal grey zone, especially with the Supreme Court reiterating in the recent Maratha reservation verdict that the ceiling could be breached only under extraordinary circumstances. The political parties demanding a caste census may be hoping that a data-backed case could be built to change the law, since greater bandwidth to allocate caste-based reservations is a potent political tool. This is particularly true for NDA ally Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) and his rival Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, who put up a united front at the meeting with the PM. The BJP's thinking on the caste-based census may be led by how it will affect its voter base in UP, where the current set up favours it. It may also be assumed that the Centre is privy to the details of the caste census held in 2011, which have not been released to the public yet. The last caste census from which data is known was held in 1931. There have been several arguments for and against a caste census, with some saying that it will make reservations more equitable and others arguing that it may lead to another round of agitations similar to the Mandal protests of the 1990s. The questions of social justice, electoral politics, and law and order that surround this exercise are what make the story important. The Hindu's Editorials Staying invested: on India's relations with Afghanistan Bonding rites: on Opposition unity Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor's Pick and more. Click here Try out The Hindu's daily news quiz Pramod Bhagat, who is participating in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, is world number one in which sport? 1. Table Tennis 2. Badminton 3. Archery 4. Shooting To find out the answer and play the full quiz, click here [logo] Editor's Pick 24 AUGUST 2021 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( The politics of caste data [The politics of caste data] A multi-party team from Bihar that met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for a [caste-based census]( the country failed to get an assurance on it. However, it is learnt that the PM has not rejected the possibility either. Caste census is a demand that many parties across the country have raised, mainly to find a justification to cross the constitutionally mandated [50% cap on reservations](. States such as Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu that have already crossed the 50% ceiling are in the legal grey zone, especially with the Supreme Court reiterating in the recent Maratha reservation verdict that the ceiling could be breached only under extraordinary circumstances. The political parties demanding a caste census may be hoping that a data-backed case could be built to change the law, since greater bandwidth to allocate caste-based reservations is a [potent political tool](. This is particularly true for NDA ally Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) and his rival Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, who put up a united front at the meeting with the PM. The BJP's thinking on the caste-based census may be led by how it will affect its voter base in UP, where the current set up favours it. It may also be assumed that the Centre is privy to the details of the caste census held in 2011, which have not been released to the public yet. The last caste census from which data is known was held in 1931. There have been several arguments for and against a [caste census]( with some saying that it will make reservations more equitable and others arguing that it may lead to another round of agitations similar to the Mandal protests of the 1990s. The questions of social justice, electoral politics, and law and order that surround this exercise are what make the story important.  The Hindu's Editorials [Arrow][Staying invested: on India's relations with Afghanistan]( [Arrow] [Bonding rites: on Opposition unity]( [underlineimg] Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor's Pick and more. [Click here]( [underlineimg] Try out The Hindu's daily news quiz Pramod Bhagat, who is participating in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, is world number one in which sport? 1. Table Tennis 2. Badminton 3. Archery 4. Shooting To find out the answer and play the full quiz, [click here]( Today's Best Reads [[India evacuates 77 persons from Afghanistan, more flights expected] India evacuates 77 persons from Afghanistan, more flights expected]( [[The Summer of ’71 that scripted a new chapter in Indian cricket] The Summer of ’71 that scripted a new chapter in Indian cricket]( [[India ranks second in Chainalysis’s 2021 Global Crypto Adoption Index] India ranks second in Chainalysis’s 2021 Global Crypto Adoption Index]( [[A pragmatic Afghan behind the religious garb?] A pragmatic Afghan behind the religious garb?]( Copyright @ 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. If you are facing any trouble in viewing this newsletter, please [try here]( If you do not wish to receive such emails [go here](