New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS): A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to conduct a caste-based census in the country for the “welfare of backward and other marginalised sections”.

The PIL demands expeditious enumeration of data for the 2024 census and a Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) for the implementation of welfare measures, according to the population.

An SECC would help identify disadvantaged groups, ensure equitable resource distribution and monitor the implementation of targeted policies, said the plea, adding that accurate data on backward and other marginalised sections is crucial for the Union government to achieve social justice and constitutional objectives.

Further, the PIL said that a data-driven approach is essential for informed policy-making, and precise data aids in understanding socio-economic conditions and demographics, enabling targeted interventions to uplift disadvantaged communities.

“For the first time in post-independence, the SECC conducted in 2011 aimed to gather comprehensive data on socio-economic indicators, including caste information. However, concerns over the quality of data and classification challenges have prevented the release and effective utilisation of the raw caste data. An Expert Group was formed to classify and categorise this data, but its recommendations have yet to be released by the Union Government,” said the PIL, filed through advocate Shravan Kumar Karajan.

It added that Article 340 of the Constitution mandates the appointment of a commission to investigate socially and educationally backward classes.

“Respondents (authorities) have not conducted the enumeration for Census-2021 to date. Initially, it was not done due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequently, it has been postponed time and again. The enumeration of the Census of the Country for 2021 was initiated in April 2019. But it was not concluded till date,” stated the plea, adding that the delay in the census has resulted in a “major data gap” as the last census was conducted 13 years ago in 2011.

The PIL said that the census is not just a population growth tracker but also provides comprehensive socio-economic data of the people of the country that can be used in policy-making, economic planning and various administrative purposes.

The matter is slated to be heard by a bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti on September 2, as per the causelist published on the website of the apex court.

In relation to the caste survey in Bihar, the Supreme Court had repeatedly refused to pass any interim order staying the survey process or publication of the outcomes of the survey, though it was contended that the matter would become infructuous post-publication of the data.

Several special leave petitions were filed before the apex court against the Patna High Court’s decision dismissing pleas challenging the survey. The petitioners pleaded that only the Union government had the authority to conduct a census in India and the Bihar government had no authority to decide and notify the conduct of a caste survey in the state.