Telangana BC Commission Flags Absence of Caste Column in Current Census Phase

The State BC Commission has raised concerns about the exclusion of a Backward Classes category field from the initial phase of the ongoing population census in Telangana.

Commission chairman G. Niranjan lodged a formal objection with Census Director Bharati Holikeri on Thursday, pointing out that the omission of BC census data during the first enumeration phase has left members of the Backward Classes community dissatisfied. The first phase of census operations commenced in the state on April 26, 2026.

Niranjan's correspondence referenced a Union Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs decision made on April 30, 2025, which authorised the collection of Backward Classes caste information during the 2027 census cycle. The Centre subsequently clarified that BC particulars would be gathered in the second phase of the population count, according to the letter.

The Commission has now sought explicit guidance on the methodology that census officials will employ to document caste-specific information during the second phase of operations. Along with his letter, Niranjan submitted the comprehensive register of BC castes recognised in Telangana to the Census Directorate.

The BC Commission has urged the Census Directorate to furnish a thorough explanation of the procedures involved and to do so without further delay. As of now, census officials have not provided any formal statement addressing the matters raised by the Commission chairman.