New Delhi, Feb. 3 -- The Supreme Court on Monday urged the Union government to ensure that India's first caste census since Independence is conducted on the basis of verifiable and accurate data, recording its expectation that the authorities would evolve a "robust mechanism" with expert assistance to avoid errors in the caste enumeration exercise. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi described the issue as "important" and said it was in agreement, in principle, with the concern that caste enumeration cannot rest merely on unverified self-declarations. "In principle, we agree with you. The points raised are important and relevant. Enumeration should be accurate and all inclusions and exclusions should be on some sound basis," observed the bench, while hearing a petition questioning the methodology proposed for the upcoming Census 2027. The court agreed with the PIL petitioner's contentions that such an enumeration would have long-term implications for governance, policy-making and social welfare. It, however, stopped short of issuing binding directions, noting that census operations are conducted by domain experts and that the design of enumeration mechanisms must largely be left to the executive. The petition was filed by Aakash Goel and argued by senior advocate Mukta Gupta, who clarified that the challenge was not to caste enumeration itself but to the manner in which it is proposed to be carried out. "For the first time since Independence, Census 2027 will include caste enumeration for all individuals. This data will be long-lasting and will be used for social welfare and other benefits. It cannot be merely on the basis of self-declaration," Gupta submitted. The bench noted that while it agreed with the concern in principle, the technical design of the census fell within the executive's domain. "Census is conducted by experts and they devise rules for it. It is a question that should be left to the government," said the bench, while asking whether the petitioner had made any representation to the authorities. Disposing of the writ petition, the court urged authorities to create a robust, expert-backed mechanism to eliminate errors in caste enumeration. "We have no reason to doubt that the competent authority, with the aid and assistance of domain experts, would evolve a robust mechanism in order to leave out any mistake as apprehended by the petitioner," the bench said in its order. At the same time, it directed the respondent authorities to consider the issues and suggestions raised by the petitioner in his earlier representation as well as in the writ petition....