Tamil Nadu adopts resolution urging Centre to commence nationwide caste based population census

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution urging the union government to immediately commence the caste-based national population census to ensure equal rights, equal opportunities in education, economy and employment to every Indian citizen.

A resolution moved by Chief Minister M K Stalin in the State Assembly Wednesday said, “This House considers that caste-based population census is essential to formulate policies in order to ensure equal rights and equal opportunities in education, economy and employment to every citizen of India.”

“This House, therefore unanimously urges the union government to immediately commence the census work, which is due from the year 2021 along with caste-based population census, this time,” the resolution added. The government resolution was passed ‘unanimously’ by voice vote by all members present in the House then.

Earlier, moving the resolution in the House, Chief Minister Stalin said that the society could transform into a truly developed economy only by securing equal rights and opportunities in education and jobs for all sections of it.

Reiterating the position of the DMK that a caste based census must be undertaken nationwide, the Chief Minister said that the decadal population census is an elaborate 100-year-old exercise undertaken by the union government under Census Act 1948 since the British rule. As per rule 3 of the Census Act, only the union government must undertake a census, but it is being debated in public that the state government could undertake a caste census under Collection of Statistics Act 2008.

Arguing that the 2008 Act only permits States to collect socioeconomic data, but section 3 (a) of the same Act bars states from collecting data pertaining to subjects mentioned in the Schedule 7 of the Constitution of India, the CM clarified the House that the population census has been codified as 69th subject of the 7th Schedule.

Adding that rule 32 of the 2008 Collection of Statistics Act categorically states that the census data collected in accordance with the Census Act 1948 cannot be collected by the states, Stalin referred to pendency of related cases before the Supreme Court and said that it was not possible for the state to undertake caste-based population census under the 2008 Collection of Statistics Act, as was claimed by some people. “A legally valid census must be undertaken only under the Census Act 1948, which is a central act. Hence, we have been urging that it would be appropriate for only the union government to undertake the census,” the CM insisted.

Citing the October 20, 2023 dated letter he had written to the PM, Stalin said that the decisions made and the laws enacted by the state government would enjoy legal safeguards only if they are done on the basis of the data collected through the union government census. Conversely, if laws are enacted on the basis of data collected through surveys, they run the risk of being struck down by the courts later, the CM reasoned, justifying that it was for this reason that he was moving a resolution urging the union government to undertake caste-based population census.