Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, currently visiting Telangana, announced the party’s commitment to dismantling the “artificial barrier” of 50 percent on caste-based reservations in India.
Telangana, following Karnataka, will be the second Congress-led state to undertake a comprehensive caste census, aiming to collect detailed socioeconomic data. This significant survey, scheduled to run from November 6 to the end of the month, will involve data on social, educational, employment, economic, and political factors to better understand the population’s demographics and economic conditions.
A New Approach to Caste Data Collection
Gandhi attended a gathering in Telangana alongside Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, meeting with social groups, caste associations, and state leaders. During the meeting, Gandhi highlighted the Congress’s goal of not only assessing caste distribution but also mapping economic disparities. The party argues that this comprehensive approach will expose the true extent of poverty and inequality, which it believes is necessary to justify an increase in reservation quotas beyond the current 50 percent limit.
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In a statement earlier this year on X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi stated that this caste survey would act as an “X-ray” of Indian society, offering accurate data to inform better policies on reservations, rights, and equal opportunities for all communities.
Details of the Telangana Caste Census
The caste census in Telangana, organized by the state government, marks a notable shift in India’s approach to understanding socioeconomic stratification. Building on the previous 1993 law that only authorized data collection related to educational and employment quotas, this new survey seeks to gather a full socioeconomic profile of all castes.
For this large-scale effort, the government has mobilized 48,000 teachers and 85,000 enumerators, who will conduct door-to-door surveys and place stickers on surveyed households. To facilitate this, primary schools in Telangana will operate only for half-days this month.
Congress’s Vision for Reservations and Social Equity
The Congress party’s push for a caste census aligns with its vision of reshaping India’s reservation policies. By going beyond the current 50 percent reservation cap, the party seeks to address what it describes as deep-rooted caste discrimination and to secure a fair share of resources and opportunities for marginalized communities.
