What happened: Ladakh leads India’s first caste census
India’s Union government is planning India’s first caste census, with Ladakh scheduled to lead the initial phase. The reported design choices focus on how enumerators record caste information, and how census operations handle specific on-ground constraints such as security-related locations.
Reported methodology features for caste data capture
The reported census methodology includes the following operational design elements: Open-ended caste-name column: enumerators record caste information in an open-ended field based on what respondents state.Learning from SECC 2011: the planning logic cited is that SECC 2011 (2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census) generated a very large set of caste-name entries because people understand and report “caste” differently.Careful recording of structures and buildings: census operations require systematic recording of structures and buildings.Defence structures along the LAC as “special charges”: defence structures along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are treated as “special charges” on paper schedules.
Reported timeline: self-enumeration, field enumeration, and revision round
The reported operational schedule is for Ladakh and snow-bound parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand: