Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday hailed the Union government’s decision to conduct caste-based census and said it was a “great decision” that will “be a transformative step.”
“It will help bring about social justice. It will be an eye-opener. It will satisfy people’s aspirations. It’s a very broad decision of the government. There was a caste-based census earlier. Last time, I think it was conducted in 1931. I looked up to that census many times to know about my caste. I therefore realise the importance of caste-based enumeration,” he said.
Dhankhar who was addressing the probationers of the Indian Statistical Service said, contrary to the perception that a caste-census will be divisive, a thoughtfully collected caste data will be an instrument of integration.
“How can information collected by itself be a source of the problem? It is like getting your body MRI. You will know about it when you stand... And this mechanism will transform abstract constitutional commitments to equality into measurable, accountable policy outcomes.”
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Earlier this month, the Union government announced that caste-based census, a key demand of the allies as well as the opposition, will be conducted along with the upcoming census.
While addressing the chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of NDA ruled states on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also referred to caste census as an exercise that is a step towards bringing the marginalised into the mainstream.
{{/usCountry}}While addressing the chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of NDA ruled states on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also referred to caste census as an exercise that is a step towards bringing the marginalised into the mainstream.
{{/usCountry}}Pointing out that the survey will help in drafting policy, the VP said India’s aspirations for becoming a developed nation are firmly rooted in evidence-based planning.
“We, as a nation, are looking for ‘Viksit Bharat,’ which is not our dream. It is our objective, defined destination, our goal. Bharat is no longer a nation with potential. It’s a nation on the rise, and the rise is unstoppable. And therefore, the path to a developed India is built with statistical insights marked by evidence-based milestones,” he said.
He went on to say, data should be used to address demographic trends and understanding statistics from the perspective of demographic variation will help policymakers address the security of the nation.