The upcoming caste census will also record the castes of Muslims, sources said on Friday. Just like other religions, there will be a caste column next to the religion column for everyone, including Muslims. This means that different castes within the Muslim community will be noted down during the census. However, sources made it clear that Muslim reservations will not be allowed, as giving reservations based on religion is not allowed by law.
The caste census is likely to begin in the next 2 to 3 months. Officials will be appointed soon, and once everything is ready, the actual census work will be finished in just 15 days. This time, the census will be done digitally, using Aadhaar, biometric data, and even artificial intelligence (AI). However, analyzing the collected data could take 1 to 2 years, and the final report will be shared after that.
The government plans to implement women’s reservation before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Once the caste census is completed next year, the process of delimitation (redrawing constituencies) will start. A special commission will be set up for this, and it will visit different states to prepare its report. Also, since the OBC population is increasing, the current 27% reservation limit in government jobs and education may be reviewed and possibly increased.
There has been no progress yet on the Justice Rohini Commission report, which focused on dividing OBC reservations into smaller categories. However, this issue might be taken up again after the caste census is done. Some people worry that this could weaken the current protections for OBC, SC, and ST communities.
The government may also hold talks with all political parties on how to carry out the caste census. But the INDIA alliance could face internal disagreements, especially with the issue of delimitation, possibly leading to a North vs South divide.
At the same time, demands for reservation in the private sector have been called unfounded. Such requests were made earlier during the Manmohan Singh government, but the private sector opposed them. However, Article 15(5), which provides reservation in private educational institutions, is already in force.