PANJIM, Aug. 9 -- VITHALDAS HEGDE[email protected]

The absence of a caste-based census in the 2001 Census could emerge as a key point of contention over the Centre's move to provide political reservation for Scheduled Tribes (STs) communities in the Goa Legislative Assembly. This is despite Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's assertion that the ST population to date will be considered by the Census Commissioner appointed by the Government of India.

However, legal experts and political observers are questioning whether 25-year-old population data can form the basis for determining the constituencies to be reserved for STs after the Centre notified the implementation of the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constit...