Cabinet Backs Caste Count — But at What Cost?

In a significant move, the Union Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has approved the inclusion of a caste census in the upcoming national population census. The announcement was made by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who emphasized that this exercise will be conducted in a “transparent manner” to preserve social harmony.

Important Highlights:

• The caste census will be officially conducted as part of the next national census, not as a separate survey.
• Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw criticized the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties, claiming they had historically opposed caste-based census and used it politically.
• The Minister stated that caste surveys often “created doubts” in society and argued for a more systematic and national-level enumeration to avoid political misuse.
• Congress, INDIA bloc, and several regional parties have long demanded a caste census. Congress-ruled Karnataka recently carried out a state-level caste survey.
• The Karnataka caste survey faced backlash from Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities, who claimed the survey data did not represent them accurately and required revision.
• Bihar became the first state to conduct a caste census in 2023, setting a precedent for others.

History of Census and Caste Enumeration in India

• The last full national census in India was conducted in 2011. The 2021 Census was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is yet to be conducted.
• The decennial Census in India has been conducted every 10 years since 1871.
• The Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) was conducted in 2011, but its caste data was not released officially due to concerns over data reliability and political sensitivity.
• British India’s last full caste enumeration was done in 1931.
• In 2023, Bihar became the first Indian state to conduct an independent caste census after independence.
• Karnataka conducted its own state-level caste survey in 2023–24, but it faced community-based backlash and credibility issues.