NEW DELHI, April 30: In a landmark decision with far-reaching social and political implications, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in the upcoming national Census.
The announcement, made by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw following a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) on Wednesday, comes amid growing political momentum around caste data and its role in public policy.
The government decision comes ahead of assembly elections in Bihar, where several parties including some BJP allies have been coming out in support of the caste census.
Announcing the decision, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the census comes under the purview of the Centre, but some states have done caste enumeration in the name of surveys “non-transparently” which has created doubts in the society.
Noting that caste was not included in all census operations conducted since Independence, Vaishnaw alleged that the Congress governments have always opposed caste census and the party had used the issue as a political tool.
“Considering all these facts and to ensure that the social fabric is not disturbed by politics, caste enumeration should be transparently included in the Census instead of surveys,” he said, adding that this will strengthen the social and economic structure of our society while the nation continues to progress.
The minister alleged that the states ruled by opposition parties have done caste surveys for political reasons and emphasised that the Modi government has resolved to transparently include caste enumeration in the forthcoming pan-India census exercise.
The opposition INDIA bloc had made caste census a major poll plank in the recent elections, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promising representation to people based on their population.
The last nationwide census was completed in 2011 and the next decadal one was to commence in April 2020 but got delayed due to the Covid pandemic.
Though Home Minister Amit Shah had said late last year that the census would be conducted “very soon”, there is no clarity as yet on when exactly the exercise would be carried out.
“In the CCPA meeting held today under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji a message of strong commitment towards social equality and rights of every section has been given by deciding to include caste census in the upcoming census,” Shah wrote on X in Hindi.
“This decision will empower all economically and socially backward classes, promote inclusion, and pave new paths for the progress of the deprived,” he said.
The first caste enumeration in independent India was conducted in 2011 and was known as the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011.
The census during the British rule between 1881 and 1931 included caste enumeration, but post-independence the government decided in 1951 not to include caste in the census, except for SCs and STs. (PTI)
