Supreme Court ने Census 2027 में जाति गणना को शामिल करने की पुष्टि की – नीति प्रभाव

<p>The <span class="key-term" data-definition="Supreme Court — India’s apex judicial body that interprets the Constitution and settles disputes (GS2: Polity)">Supreme Court</span> on <strong>20 May 2026</strong> ruled that the government can include <span class="key-term" data-definition="caste enumeration — systematic collection of data on caste groups during a census, used for planning welfare and affirmative action (GS3: Society)">caste enumeration</span> in the upcoming <span class="key-term" data-definition="Census 2027 — the decennial population count scheduled for 2027, which will also gather socio‑economic data (GS3: Economy)">Census 2027</span>. The judgment was delivered by <span class="key-term" data-definition="Chief Justice of India — the senior-most judge who heads the Supreme Court and oversees its administration (GS2: Polity)">Chief Justice of India Surya Kant</span>, heading a three‑judge bench.</p> <h3>Key Developments</h3> <ul> <li>The bench dismissed a petition by Sudhakar Gummula, who argued that caste data could be misused by politicians and corporations.</li> <li>The Court said deciding whether to count caste is a matter of <strong>policy</strong>, not judicial review.</li> <li>The <span class="key-term" data-definition="Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs — a top‑level committee of the Union Cabinet that decides on political matters, including census decisions (GS2: Polity)">Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs</span> had already approved the inclusion in a meeting held in April 2025.</li> </ul> <h3>Important Facts</h3> <ul> <li>Earlier censuses recorded only <span class="key-term" data-definition="Scheduled Castes (SC) — historically disadvantaged communities listed in the Constitution for affirmative action (GS2: Polity)">Scheduled Castes (SC)</span> and <span class="key-term" data-definition="Scheduled Tribes (ST) — indigenous communities listed in the Constitution for affirmative action (GS2: Polity)">Scheduled Tribes (ST)</span>. The 2027 exercise will broaden the scope to all caste groups.</li> <li>The first phase, called the <span class="key-term" data-definition="House Listing Operation (HLO) — the initial census phase that gathers data on housing conditions, assets, and amenities (GS3: Economy)">House Listing Operation (HLO)</span>, collected information on housing, assets, and amenities.</li> <li>The second phase, <strong>Population Enumeration</strong>, will capture demographic, socio‑economic, cultural and other details, including caste.</li> <li>The last comprehensive nationwide caste count was conducted in <strong>1931</strong> during colonial rule.</li> <li>Former Vice‑President <strong>Jagdeep Dhankar</strong> described thoughtfully collected caste data as an "MRI of the body" for social integration.</li> </ul> <h3>UPSC Relevance</h3> <p>Understanding the role of the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Supreme Court — India’s apex judicial body that interprets the Constitution and settles disputes