Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently said that the Indian government will now include caste details in the upcoming census. He shared this news after a Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs meeting.
Speaking to reporters, Vaishnaw said,
“Congress governments have always opposed the caste census. Caste was not included in any census conducted since Independence. In 2010, the then Prime Minister, the late Dr. Manmohan Singh ji, had assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census would be considered by the Cabinet. A Group of Ministers was formed to examine this issue. Most political parties had recommended a caste census. Despite this, the Congress government decided to conduct only a caste survey rather than a full caste census.”
What is caste census?
A caste census means the government collects information about different castes in the country. It helps understand how people are grouped socially and economically. The last time this was done in a major way was during British rule, and after independence, caste details were no longer included in regular census data.
Instead, in 2011, a Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) was conducted. Vaishnaw pointed out that this was only a survey and not a complete caste census.
Census is a union subject, says Vaishnaw
Vaishnaw also talked about who has the power to conduct a census. He said:
“As per Article 246 of the Constitution of India, the subject of census is listed at Entry 69 in the Union List of the Seventh Schedule.”
This means that only the central government can carry out the official census. Some states have tried to conduct their own caste surveys, but Vaishnaw said these were not always clear or fair.
“While some states have executed this exercise effectively, others have carried out such surveys purely for political motives in a non-transparent manner,” he added.
Why include caste in the census now?
According to Vaishnaw, having proper caste data will help build a stronger society and make sure everyone gets fair chances. He said including caste details directly in the national census will avoid confusion and doubts created by separate state surveys.
“These surveys have created doubts in society. Considering all these factors, and to ensure that our social fabric remains undisturbed by political manipulation, caste enumeration should be transparently included in the census rather than through separate surveys. This will strengthen the social and economic framework of our society while the nation continues to progress,” the minister explained.
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