The census is very important to formulate the policies a nation needs to prosper. Without it, it will be very difficult to decide the resource allocation a district, region, or state needs to fulfill the ambitions of its people. The caste census has 4 major imperatives
SOCIAL IMPERATIVE: Caste is the foundational social construct in India. The widespread use of caste and surnames and caste marks has affected our marriages, residential preferences, our choice of candidates for election, and ministers in the cabinet all have caste dictating an important role.
LEGAL IMPERATIVE: The social justice policies mandated by the constitution cannot be effectively implied without caste-wise data. The representation in government through reserved electoral seats, and the benefits of reservation in public employment and education, all need a widespread caste-based census.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPERATIVE: The detailed census will help to avoid/ correct wrongful inclusion of undeserving classes and exclusion of deserving classes. It will also help to guard against the crowding out of a few dominant castes in a reserved class. What is also needed is the sub-categorization of castes within the reserved category to determine the income/ wealth criterion for the creamy layer.
MORAL IMPERATIVE: The absence of a detailed census has enabled the elites among upper castes to corner a disproportionate share of the nation's assets, incomes, and position of power.