Centre's stand on caste-based census triggers political row

After the Centre opposed caste-based headcount for OBCs in Census 2021, a fresh political row has erupted with the BJP facing a backlash from the Opposition as well as alliance partners.

Even as various state governments have announced reservations for OBCs and rural backward classes in panchayat elections as well as government jobs, an affidavit filed by the social justice and empowerment ministry seems to indicate that the government does not have any usable data on relative population of each caste in the country.

In an affidavit filed in the Supreme court on a plea by the Maharashtra government, the Centre has said that the Caste/Tribe data from the socio economic and caste census (SeCC) 2011 is "flawed" and "is not usable".