SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CASTE CENSUS

The identification of the real beneficiaries is of paramount importance, for the success of any targeted approach. In line with this approach the Dr. N. C. Saxena Committee was constituted to advise on the ‘methodology for a BPL census in rural areas’. Since June 2011, for the first time, a Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) is being conducted through a comprehensive ‘door-to-door’ enumeration in both rural and urban India, authentic information is being made available on the socio-economic condition and educational status of various castes and sections through the SECC.

The exercise was completed by late 2016 and presently, the errors are in the process of rectification—the reason the report of the census has not been put in the public domain yet. Once the census is fully ready, its findings are expected to be used in as guidelines in several areas such as—identifying the level of poverty, target population for the disbursal of subsidies, selection for eligibility for educational scholarships, old age pension,

re-orienting the existing reservation policy, better implementation (by correct identification the beneficiaries) of the MGNAREGS, National Food Security scheme, etc.