T.N. Assembly unanimously adopts resolution urging Centre to do away with ‘Open-Column Method’ while enumerating BCs, MBCs, and DNCs

The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Union government to pre-load into the Census enumeration portal/application the list of BCs, MBCs, and DNCs notified by the Centre and the State governments, so as to collect the caste details during the second phase of Census 2027 solely on the basis of the names contained in such lists.

The resolution urged the Centre to carry out the enumeration of Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes, and Denotified Communities in the same manner as followed for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), and completely dispense with the ambiguous ‘Open-Column Method’. In this method, respondents can self-declare their caste, which the enumerator will record, as opposed to choosing one from a pre-defined list.