After Supreme Court's sub-quota ruling, chorus grows for caste census

THE Supreme Court's landmark decision allowing states to create sub-categorisation within the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), have fuelled the clamour for a nationwide caste census, a long-standing demand of the Opposition parties.

- PREETHA NAIR

Constitutional experts and several political parties including the Congress, point out that subclassification cannot be realised in the absence of data on the caste categories.

In a majority ruling, the apex court has permitted state governments to sub-classify SC/ STs to advance the cause of affirmative action. The sevenjudge bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud said that this must be based on "quantifiable and demonstrable data" instead of political expediency.

While many political parties and state governments have welcomed the verdict, they also argue that caste census is now imperative to classify subgroups among SCs and STs.