Govt announces caste count in next census, Shah says ‘historic decision’

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Union Information & Broadcasting Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw said the caste census “will strengthen the social and economic structure of our society while the nation continues to progress”.

Non-BJP-ruled Telangana and Karnataka had already conducted separate caste surveys after their demand for such a census was rejected by the Centre. Bihar, where Assembly elections are due later this year, had also conducted such a census in 2023 when the JDU was in power with RJD and Congress. The Centre, meanwhile, had largely been silent on the issue — until now.

It is not yet clear when the next census will be held — it was due in 2021 but could not be conducted due to the Covid pandemic.

Posting on X in Hindi, Shah said, “The Modi government, which is committed to social justice, has taken a historic decision today. At the meeting of the CCPA chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a message of strong commitment to social justice and the rights of every section has been sent with the decision to include caste census in the upcoming census.”

Taking on the Opposition, Shah said, “For decades, while in power, the Congress and its allies opposed caste census and played politics over it. This decision will empower all economically and socially backward classes, promote inclusion and pave the way for the uplift of the deprived.”

Vaishnaw said the census comes under the purview of the Centre but some states had conducted a caste enumeration in the name of surveys in a “non-transparent” manner, which “created doubts in the society”.

Asserting that caste was not included in census operations since Independence, Vaishnaw alleged that previous Congress governments at the Centre had always opposed such an enumeration even as the party 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.

On Wednesday, Vaishnaw said states ruled by Opposition parties had done caste surveys for “political reasons” and emphasised that the Modi government has resolved to “transparently” include caste in the forthcoming pan-India census exercise.

He said that in 2010, the then prime minister Manmohan Singh had assured the Lok Sabha that the issue of a caste census should be considered in the Cabinet. A group of ministers was formed to consider this after most political parties had recommended such a count.

“Despite this, the Congress government decided to conduct only a survey instead of a caste census. That survey is known as SECC. It is well understood that the Congress and its INDI alliance partners have used Caste Census only as a political tool,” Vaishnaw said.

The Opposition had made the caste census a key poll issue ahead of the previous Lok Sabha elections, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promising representation to people based on their population.

Vaishnaw said that under Article 246 of the Constitution, the Census is a Union subject. “Some states have done this (caste surveys) well, while some others have conducted such surveys purely from a political angle in a non-transparent way,” he said.

“This demonstrates that our Government is committed to the values and interests of our society and country, like in the past when our Government had introduced 10 per cent reservation for the economically weaker sections of the society without causing stress in any section,” Vaishnaw said.

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