Centre Announces Inclusion of Caste Information in Upcoming Population Census
Breaking: Caste Count Makes Its Way into National Census 2023
Capital Talk: Caste registration - a comprehensive listing of various castes, sub-castes, and the population count for each across the nation - is set to be included in India's upcoming national census, according to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during a cabinet meeting.
"The cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has agreed to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census exercise," Mr Vaishnaw declared during the meeting, an announcement that shook things up, especially considering the ongoing response to the Pahalgam terror attack was expected to dominate the proceedings.
A transparent census process is on the cards, said the minister, taking jabs at opposition parties like the Congress, who have long criticized the ruling BJP over calls for a 'caste census', particularly during election campaigns.
Mr Vaishnaw put the Congress in the firing line, stating that the party had always opposed a caste census - not even including the category in censuses since independence.
"Congress governments were always against a caste census. In 2010, late Dr Manmohan Singh admitted that the matter of a caste census should be considered, and a group was formed with recommendations from most political parties. However, the Congress decided to conduct a survey instead," he said.
"It's clear that the Congress and its allies have only used 'caste census' as a political tool," Mr Vaishnaw claimed.
He also dismissed caste counts conducted by state governments, such as Bihar in October 2023, accusing them of trying to score political brownie points with voters.
"Some states have conducted surveys to enumerate castes... some did it well... others conducted surveys purely from a political angle," he said, adding that such surveys have created doubts in society.
Legally, only the union government has the power to conduct a caste census.
This major decision comes within months of a critical Assembly election in Bihar, where over 63% of the population belongs to the Extremely Backward or Backward classes.
Welcoming the news, Home Minister Amit Shah heralded it as a "historic decision" by the Narendra Modi government.
“The strong commitment towards social equality and rights of every section has been given by deciding to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census,” said Mr Shah in a Hindi tweet.
He went on to accuse the Congress and its allies of opposing a caste census for decades while in power and playing politics over it while in the opposition. This move, he said, will empower the economically and socially backward classes, promote inclusion, and pave new paths for progress for the downtrodden.
Fun Fact: The British Raj conducted caste enumeration regularly in their decadal censuses from 1881 to 1931, providing detailed data on caste, religion, and occupation. The 1931 census, the last to count all castes, concluded that Other Backward Castes (OBCs) made up 52% of India’s population. This formed the basis for the Mandal Commission’s OBC reservations in 1990. However, post-independence India chose to focus on national unity over caste divisions and only counted Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in censuses until 1961, when the government allowed states to list OBCs for affirmative action. The 2025 decision to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census marks a significant reversal in policy.
Read On: Bihar Caste Survey: 27% From Backward Classes, 36% From EBCsIn October 2023 it was Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government (even then still aligned with Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD and the Congress) that pushed through a caste survey. The state unit of the BJP, in opposition at the time, voiced cautious support for the exercise, mindful that criticizing or dismissing it could lead to backlash from voters.
Read On: Caste Census Takes Centre Stage, Amit Shah Says BJP Never OpposedWith similar concerns in mind, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the BJP had never actually opposed a caste census. However, Mr. Shah’s comments were contradictory to a cabinet decision in 2011 to conduct the next census without caste enumeration.Bihar subsequently became the first state to release such data.
Read On: Opposition Bloc INDIA Pushes For Caste Census In First Tactical MeetingThe fallout of the report - apart from leading opposition parties to intensify demands for a nationwide caste survey - a topic that was also a major flashpoint in campaigning for last year’s Lok Sabha election - included the Bihar government ordering special quotas, up to 65%.
Read On: Will Conduct Caste Census If Voted To Power: Rahul Gandhi In MPAfter that, the Congress and the INDIA bloc made fierce demands about a national caste census. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi led that charge, promising a caste census wherever his party came to power. That promise has been fulfilled in Karnataka and Telangana.
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- The announcement of caste enumeration in the upcoming national census has been met with criticism by the Congress party, who have long opposed such a move, often accused of using it as a political tool.
- The inclusion of caste enumeration in the national census has generated significant discussion on social media platforms, with entertainment industry figures and political pundits offering their opinions on the matter.
- State governments like Bihar have conducted their own caste surveys in the past, but Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has criticized these efforts for being politically motivated and detrimental to societal unity.
- The decision to include caste enumeration in the national census comes amidst growing demand for a caste census, with political parties like the Congress and INDIA bloc intensifying their calls for a nationwide survey, and with regional parties like the BJP in Karnataka and Telangana fulfilling such promises.
