UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — OBC groups call for stir over caste census

Q1. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Even though Census 2027 will record the caste of every respondent, a government department cannot use the Census to obtain the caste entry of a particular named individual.
  2. The Census Act, 1948 guarantees the confidentiality of information relating to individuals, even while it obliges the public to answer Census questions.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q2. With reference to the constitutional lists of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. Once the President has notified the list of Scheduled Castes for a State, the President may revise that list through a later notification.
  2. The list of Scheduled Castes for a State is first specified by a public notification of the President issued after consultation with the Governor of that State.
  3. A community notified as a Scheduled Caste in relation to one State is thereby a Scheduled Caste in relation to every other State.
  4. Parliament may, by law, include a tribal community in, or exclude it from, the list of Scheduled Tribes notified for a State.
  • A. 2 and 4 only
  • B. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 2, 3 and 4 only

Q3. Consider the following assertion: Preparing a single, nationwide pre-coded list of OBC castes for use in the Census is not a straightforward administrative task. Which of the following statements support the above assertion?

  1. Every State may, by law, prepare and maintain for its own purposes a list of socially and educationally backward classes whose entries may differ from the Central List.
  2. Census 2027 is India's first digital Census, which uses mobile-based data collection.
  3. OBC groups have demanded that castes in the General category also be given unique codes in Census 2027.
  4. Entries in the Central List of socially and educationally backward classes are specified by the President separately with respect to each State or Union territory.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4 only

Q4. In Census 2027 the Centre uses an open write-in caste column for respondents other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, while OBC groups demand a drop-down menu with a unique code for every caste. In this context, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Because a write-in column is used for other respondents, the caste entries of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe respondents will also have to be matched to standard names after collection.
  2. A drop-down menu with a unique code for every caste would require a master list of castes to be settled before Population Enumeration begins.
  3. A write-in column lets respondents name their own caste, but moves the work of standardising spelling variants and sub-caste names to the stage after data collection.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q5. OBC groups have demanded that every caste be given a unique code in Census 2027 to support OBC sub-categorisation. In this context, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Allotting a unique Census code to a caste would by itself include that caste in the Central List of socially and educationally backward classes.
  2. Sub-categorisation of OBCs is designed to raise the total share of reservation available to OBCs as a whole.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. Both 1 and 2
  • D. Neither 1 nor 2