Government yet to decide how open-column caste data will be sorted, tabulated

More than a month after the Union government notified the questionnaire for the second phase of the 2027 Census , finalising an open-column method to record caste, officials told The Hindu that a decision is yet to be taken on how the government will sort, tabulate, and rationalise the data collected through this method.

Under this method, people who are not from the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes can enter their caste names in an open column. This is unlike other modes of enumerating castes, wherein people have to choose from a list of castes, a method used by the Bihar and Telangana governments in their caste surveys. The open-field method also allows people to opt for a “no-caste” option; they can also choose not to disclose their caste name.