Society · 17 Aug 2026

Census 2027 caste enumeration

Consider the following statements regarding the caste enumeration in the upcoming Census:

  1. Caste will be recorded in an open column without a pre-fixed list, except for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, which will carry pre-assigned codes.
  2. The 1931 Census was the last census before independence to officially publish caste-wise population data.
  3. The caste data collected during the 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) was consolidated and publicly released by the Government of India.
A1 only
B2 only
C1 and 2 only
D1, 2 and 3
This question is based on: The Column That Broke the Last Census
Take this in full test mode → Instructions for 17 Aug 2026
About this question

Why in news

The Ministry of Home Affairs notified the 40-question second-phase Census 2027 schedule on August 14, 2026, with self-enumeration beginning August 17, reviving the caste-data debate first raised by the unreleased 2011 SECC.

Why for UPSC

UPSC frequently tests the distinction between similar-sounding data exercises (Census vs SECC) and their actual administrative status - the exception carved out for SC/ST codes versus the open-ended treatment of all other castes is exactly the "condition behind the headline" UPSC probes, not the mere fact that a caste question exists.

Prelims summary

Census 2027's caste column repeats the 2011 SECC's open-format design - self-declared, no fixed list - except SC/ST categories, which alone carry pre-assigned codes. The 2011 SECC's caste data (46.7 lakh entries) was never released, unlike the 1931 Census, the last pre-independence count to publish caste data.

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