SOCIO-ECONOMIC
CASTE CENSUS - GOVERNANCE
News: Caste data from 2011 technically
flawed: govt.
What's
in the news?
●
The Union government reiterated its
position that the caste data collected in the Socio-Economic Caste Census
(SECC) of 2011 is "technically flawed" and hence has not been made
official for purpose.
Socio-economic
Caste Census:
●
It gathered data on a wide range of social
and economic factors affecting households all around the country.
●
SECC methodology defines poverty through
deprivation, instead of consumption.
Nodal
Ministry:
●
The Ministry
of Rural development acted as a nodal ministry in conducting socio-economic
caste census.
Objective:
●
Its objective is to make reliable
information available that will allow the country's population to be enumerated
caste-by-caste, as well as the educational standing of various castes and
sections of the population.
Features:
●
SECC follows the rules established by the S R Hashim committee, which was
constituted by the erstwhile Planning Commission of India.
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Specifically, automated exclusion based on 14 parameters such as
○
Motorized 2/3/4 wheeler/fishing boat.
○
Mechanized 3/4 wheeler agricultural
equipment.
○
Kisan credit card with a credit limit of
over Rs. 50,000/-.
○
Household member government employee.
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Households with non-agricultural
enterprises registered with the government.
○
Any member of the household earning more
than Rs. 10,000 per month.
○
Paying income tax.
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Paying professional tax.
○
3 or more rooms with pucca walls and roof.
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Owns a refrigerator.
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Owns landline phone.
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Owns more than 2.5 acres of irrigated land
with 1 irrigation equipment.
○
5 acres or more of irrigated land for two
or more crop seasons.
○
Owning at least 7.5 acres of land or more
with at least one irrigation equipment.
●
Automatic
inclusion based on 5 parameters such as
○
Households without shelter.
○
Destitute, living on alms.
○
Manual scavenger families.
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Primitive tribal groups.
○
Legally released bonded labour.
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Deprivation
grading based on 7 criteria such as
○
Households with only one room with no
solid walls and roof.
○
Those with no adult members aged 15-59.
○
Female-headed households with no adult
male aged 15-59.
○
Those with differently abled members and
no able-bodied members.
○
SC/ST households.
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Those with no literate members above the
age of 25.
○
Landless households deriving a major
portion of their income from manual casual labour.