New Delhi: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to conduct a caste-based census in the country for the “welfare of backward and other marginalised sections”.

The PIL demands expeditious enumeration of data for the 2024 census and a Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) for the implementation of welfare measures, according to the population.

An SECC would help identify disadvantaged groups, ensure equitable resource distribution and monitor the implementation of targeted policies, said the plea, adding that accurate data on backward and other marginalised sections is crucial for the Union government to achieve social justice and constitutional objectives.

Further, the PIL said that a data-driven approach is essential for informed policy-making, and precise data aids in understanding socio-economic conditions and demographics, enabling targeted interventions to uplift disadvantaged communities.

“For the first time in post-independence, the SECC conducted in 2011 aimed to gather comprehensive data on socio-economic indicators, including caste information. However, concerns over the quality of data and classification challenges have prevented the release and effective utilisation of the raw caste data. An Expert Group was formed to classify and categorise this data, but its recommendations have yet to be released by the Union Government,” said the PIL, filed through advocate Shravan Kumar Karajan.

It added that Article 340 of the Constitution mandates the appointment of a commission to investigate socially and educationally backward classes.