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New Delhi: The Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI) and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) were at odds over the usage of existing caste lists for the Census 2027 enumeration, with the MoSJE revising an official meeting note later to reflect its offer to share the Central Other Backward Classes (OBC) list, according to sources cited by The Indian Express. 

The caste enumeration for the population census exercise has already become a point of contention, in the light of the government’s decision to collect caste data through an open-ended column instead of a pre-defined drop-down list. The move has drawn criticism from opposition parties, with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge arguing that reliable caste information is pertinent for effective social justice policies.

The latest development surrounds a June 1 meeting attended by officials from the ORGI and the MoSJE and chaired by Registrar General of India (RGI) Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan. Additional RGI Sunil Kumar and Ministry Joint Secretary Shailendra Kumar were also present at the meeting.

MoSJE offered the existing OBC list

Sources informed The Indian Express that MoSJE officials indicated at the meeting that the list of OBC communities maintained by the National Commission of Backward Classes should........

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