Ponnam seeks separate OBC/SEBC category in Census 2027

Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure a separate and clearly identifiable category for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) or Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) in the Census 2027 questionnaire.In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr. Prabhakar said the absence of a separate OBC/SEBC category could affect the accuracy and usability of caste enumeration data. He sought standardised caste coding and a scientific methodology for identifying backward communities.The Minister said caste identity and OBC/SEBC classification were not necessarily synonymous, as the classification could vary between the Central and State lists. He said the Census methodology should take into account the State-specific nature of OBC/SEBC classifi