Vizag, January 27, 2026: Speakers at a symposium titled “Caste Census - Implications - Impact on Caste System,” held at the Public Library in Visakhapatnam, strongly advocated for including caste data in the national census.
Former UPSC member K. S. Chalam emphasized that while Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are counted, precise figures for Backwards Classes remain unavailable. He argued the exercise would enable evidence-based policies for BC development and empowerment, with no group losing out.
Political science professor K. Srinivasulu from Osmania University added that a caste census goes beyond headcounts to reveal social and economic realities, noting that modernisation has not erased caste divisions and that beneficiaries of the status quo often resist such data collection.
