Cabinet approves caste census | In a landmark political and administrative move, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Wednesday that the caste census will officially be included in the next national census exercise, following a key decision by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs.
Speaking at a media briefing, Vaishnaw said, “The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has decided to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming census exercise.” This development marks a significant shift in the Centre’s stance on caste-based population data and has sparked political ripples across the spectrum.
Centre Targets Congress, INDIA Bloc Over Caste Census Stance
While announcing the decision, Vaishnaw launched a scathing attack on the Congress and the opposition INDIA bloc, accusing them of historically opposing the caste census despite public posturing.
“Congress governments have always opposed the caste census. In 2010, Dr. Manmohan Singh referred the issue to the Cabinet, but the process never moved forward meaningfully,” Vaishnaw said. He also emphasized that while some state governments had taken independent steps to conduct caste surveys, the transparency and intent behind those efforts were questionable.
The Union Minister alleged that opposition parties had used the issue of caste enumeration as a “political tool” rather than a serious policy measure aimed at addressing social inequities.
Political Background: A Long-Standing Demand with Divisive Outcomes
The demand for a caste census has gained momentum in recent years, with the Congress, INDIA bloc members, and regional parties repeatedly pushing the Centre for its inclusion in official data collection.
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Recently, Congress-ruled Karnataka conducted its own caste survey. However, it stirred controversy, with strong objections raised by Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities who claimed the decade-old Social and Educational Survey Report did not represent their demographics accurately.
Despite such setbacks, proponents of caste enumeration have argued it is essential to design effective policies for reservation, education, employment, and social justice.
What This Means for the Upcoming Census
The inclusion of caste data in the national census could significantly influence the structure of welfare schemes, reservation policies, and socioeconomic planning at both central and state levels. It would be the first detailed caste enumeration since the 1931 census, making it a potentially transformative moment in India’s demographic documentation.
Government officials are expected to lay out technical and logistical plans in the coming weeks, with timelines for enumeration and release of data likely to follow the general census schedule.
