Cabinet for committee to classify caste names

Amidst allegations of suppressing facts, the Centre on Thursday announced that it will release the data related to the socioeconomic caste census “as early as possible”. The Cabinet today gave its nod to form a committee under NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya to classify the caste names returned in the Socio Economic and Caste Census, 2011 (SECC).

“When the task is completed, it will be made public at an appropriate time,” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.

This decision is in line with the one taken by the UPA government in May 2011. Based on the decision of the previous government, the present regime released the SECC on July 3 sans caste details. This attracted criticism from various political outfits such as the Samajwadi Party, JD(U), RJD, DMK and the Left parties.

Jaitley said the caste census conducted by the Registrar General of India had come out with 46 lakh categories of castes, sub-castes, different surnames in the castes and clan names. These had been sent to the States about eight-nine months back for them to be clubbed to consolidate the caste count.

The Centre is keen to release the caste data at the earliest, as soon as the States send the details, because the committee headed by Panagariya will only then be able to classify them, added the Finance Minister