The Tamil Nadu Assembly on 26th June unanimously adopted a resolution, proposed by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, urging the Union government to conduct a caste-based census along with the general population census.
“This House considers a caste-based population census essential for formulating policies 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 has been due since 2021, along with a caste-based population census this time,” the resolution said.
PMK member R. Arul, who spoke in the debate, said he would not agree with the resolution because the State government itself could conduct a caste-based census. Law Minister S. Regupathy replied that though the State could conduct a caste-based census under the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008, the Census Act could override it.
Earlier, Mr. Stalin recalled the letter he had written to the Prime Minister in 2023, demanding a caste-based census along with the general census. “The decisions and acts of a State government can get legal protection only if they are done on the basis of the data collected by the Centre. If the State governments collect data through surveys, they may be stayed by courts…,” he reasoned.
Mr. Stalin said that under Section 3 of the Census Act, only the Union government could conduct a census. He explained that though there was a perception that a State government could do a caste-based census under the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008, the law allows only collection of socio-economic data.