Desai argues for reliable caste data
Writing in The Hindu, Faculty Associate Sonalde Desai anticipates "a slew of demands for collection of caste data" during India's 2021 census. She notes that such demands have been quashed before, mainly because of their association with Colonial record keeping.
"[Indian] political systems, civil society and courts continue to assume that broad caste-based social categories — Dalits, Adivasis, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and upper castes — defined largely using data from 1931 Census and a few special purpose surveys continue to shape economic conditions in 21st century India. Without accurate data at a granular level for each of these categories consisting of thousands of jatis (castes) and upjatis (subcastes), we have no way of knowing whether this is correct," Dr. Desai notes.