Caste Enumeration
Historical Context and Policy Significance
Comprehensive caste enumeration was last conducted during British India between 1881 and 1931. After independence, independent India's Census counted only Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, not Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) of 2011 collected some caste data but was not published in disaggregated form for OBCs. The Mandal Commission (1980) relied on 1931 caste data to estimate OBC population at 52% for reservation purposes. Inclusion of caste data in Census 2027 is expected to provide an empirically grounded basis for OBC reservation policies and potentially challenge or validate the creamy layer threshold.
- Last full caste census in India: 1931 (British era).
- Post-independence censuses: counted SC/ST populations only; OBC data not collected in Census.
- SECC 2011: collected household-level socioeconomic and caste data but OBC caste-wise data not released publicly.
- Mandal Commission (1980): estimated OBCs at 52% based on 1931 census data.
- Supreme Court's 50% reservation cap (Indra Sawhney v. Union of India, 1992) will be reassessed in light of new caste data by several states.
● Tracked since March 11, 2026 · last seen August 18, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes