New Delhi: The upcoming government of India census will include caste enumeration, GoI Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced Wednesday during a Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) briefing. Caste-based data has not been officially collected in the census since Independence.
Vaishnaw said the decision was taken to ensure the census is conducted in a “transparent” manner. He also took aim at the Congress and opposition parties, accusing them of opposing caste-based enumeration for decades while using it as a political tool during election campaigns. “Congress governments have always opposed a caste census. In 2010, Dr Manmohan Singh formed a group to study the issue, most parties supported it, but the Congress opted for a survey instead,” he said.
The minister also criticised recent caste surveys conducted by state governments like Bihar, calling them politically motivated. “Some states did it well, others used it just to influence voters, which created doubts in society,” he said. He clarified that only the central government has the legal authority to conduct a caste census.
The timing of the announcement is politically significant, coming months before key Assembly elections in Bihar — where over 63% of the population belongs to backward or extremely backward classes. In 2023, Bihar became the first state to release caste survey data under the Nitish Kumar-led government, then allied with the Congress and RJD. The BJP, then in opposition in Bihar, cautiously supported the move to avoid backlash from backward caste voters.
Home Minister Amit Shah called the GoI’s decision “historic,” saying it reflects the Modi government’s commitment to social equality and inclusive growth. In a post on X, Shah said, “While the Congress and its allies opposed caste census for decades, this move will empower deprived communities and pave the way for their development.”
The caste census debate gained national attention after the Bihar survey, which reported 27% of the population as backward classes and 36% as extremely backward. The data led to demands for increased quotas and a push by opposition parties for a nationwide caste-based count. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi led this charge, promising caste censuses in all Congress-ruled states — a pledge fulfilled in Karnataka and Telangana.
