CHENNAI: The Assembly on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution urging the union government to dispense with the “open-column method” for enumerating Backward Classes (BCs), Most Backward Classes (MBCs) and Denotified Communities (DNCs) in the Census 2027.
The resolution called upon the centre to pre-load into the census portal/app the list of BCs, MBCs and DNCs notified by the centre and state government, and carry out enumeration based solely on these lists, as in the case of SCs and STs.
Moving the resolution, Backward Classes Welfare Minister V Sampath Kumar said the centre should ensure that the caste particulars of OBCs in the Census 2027 are recorded only on the basis of caste names contained in the lists notified by the state and union governments. He said the names of SCs/STs would be selected from the government lists already uploaded in the census system. However, for BCs and MBCs, an open column method appeared to have been proposed, allowing caste names to be entered manually, the minister stated.
This had caused concern among these communities, he stated. The minister said allowing caste names to be entered through an open field instead of using the lists already recognised and notified by the state and union governments could result in different names or local variations being used for the same caste.
This could make the data ambiguous and create difficulties in compiling and comparing statistics, thereby undermining the benefits of the census.
Accurate caste-wise population data, he said, would provide a strong basis for assessing the actual representation of Backward Class and Most Backwards Class communities and for appropriately formulating policies and welfare schemes relating to their education, employment, economic development and social advancement.
Ministers Aadhav Arjuna, Vanni Arasu and K Rajeshkumar, AIADMK MLAs CVe Shanmugam and R Rajendran, A Ganeshkumar (PMK), R Chellasamy (CPM), K Marimuthu (CPI), and BJP MLA M Bhojarajan were among those who spoke on this resolution.