The surprise announcement by the Modi government to include caste enumeration along with the next Census takes away a big talking point from the Congress. Other Opposition parties also have been demanding a nationwide caste census, making it a major election issue, and some states like Bihar, Telangana and Karnataka have conducted such surveys.
The decision relating to the caste census was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the census comes under the purview of the Centre. Still, some states have done caste enumeration in the name of surveys, Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw said. To ensure that our social fabric is not disturbed by politics, caste enumeration should be included in the census instead of surveys,” he noted, while saying that as per Article 246 of the Constitution of India, the subject of Census is listed at number 69 in the Union List of the Seventh Schedule, making it a Union subject.
“Taking the concerns into account, and to ensure that the social fabric remains intact, the government has decided that caste enumeration should be conducted transparently as part of the official Census, rather than through fragmented state-level surveys. This move is aimed at strengthening the social and economic foundations of the country while continuing its path of development,” the Minister said.
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday welcomed the Union Cabinet’s decision to conduct a caste census, but demanded a clear timeline for its completion, calling it just the ‘first step’ toward deeper social reform. He also offered Congress’s support in helping the government design and implement the census.
The census exercise was to commence in April 2020, but got delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
