Question : Socio-Economic and Caste Census

(a) the details of Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) in terms of OBC population and BPL status;

(b) whether the Government has noted certain errors in the SECC 2014, if so, the details thereof and the methodology and timeline fixed for correcting the same;

(c) whether the data reported in the SECC 2014 align with similar data released by other ministries such as the Ministry of Rural Development, the Labour Ministry, etc., if so, the details thereof and if not the reasons therefor;

(d) its likely implication on identification of beneficiaries for various Government schemes along with the time line of any set for correction of the same; and

(e) the measures taken by the Government in ensuring transparency to ensure reliability and accountability of data?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI SUDARSHAN BHAGAT)

(a): The Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 was conducted by the Government of India. While the Caste wise Census is the domain of the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioners of India, the issue of identification of BPL households in rural areas and urban areas come under the purview of Ministry of Rural Development and Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) respectively.
On July 3, 2015 the Ministry of Rural Development released on line findings of the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 for Rural India. It provides data on households regarding various aspects of their socio-economic status including housing status, land-holding/landlessness, educational status, status of women, disability and conditions of differently abled, occupation, possession of assets, SC/ST households, main source of households'' income etc. SECC data captures respondent based disclosures on socio economic status of 17.95 crore rural households and thus allows automatic exclusion of 7.06 crore (39.37 %) of households as not poor on the basis of 14 parameters, automatic inclusion of 16.52 lakh (0.92 %) households as poorest of the poor on the basis of 5 parameters and grading of deprivation of 8.70 crore (48.49%) of rural households on the basis of seven criteria.

(b) & (c): The SECC data 2011 is a census data and not a survey data of sampled households published by many Departments/Agencies in the Government and hence it is more accurate. Registrar General of India has noted some discrepancies in Caste related information furnished by responding households involving a sum total of 1.44 crore persons out of total population of 118.59 crore enumerated. The necessary corrections have been ordered by it.

(d): Government has decided to use the SECC 2011 data for implementing its rural development programmes.

(e): The data canvassed from the respondents of each households of SECC 2011 were placed before the Panchayats. A receipt was also given to each of the household. After securing their endorsement, the draft list was published and was placed before Gram Sabha and displayed at prominent places in the Panchayats. Claims and Objections (COTs) were then invited. A total number 11.29 lakhs Claims were received which were resolved by the appropriate functionaries in the State/UT Governments. On Oct 2, 2015 the data was further secrutinised in each of the Gram Sabhas of 2567 IPPE Blocks which validated the trust of Government in SECC data.

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