New Delhi, April 30 — The Union government has decided to include caste enumeration in the upcoming national census exercise, a move it says will be carried out in a transparent and inclusive manner.
The announcement was made by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, following a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs.
“Under the leadership of our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has today decided that caste enumeration will be included in the forthcoming census,” Vaishnaw stated at a press briefing.
He mentioned that this decision reflects the government’s commitment to social justice and national development.
The Union Minister noted that while the census is constitutionally a central subject, some states have carried out caste-based surveys independently.
“According to the Constitution of India, the census is a Union subject. Some states have conducted surveys to enumerate castes. While some states have executed this exercise effectively, others have carried out such surveys purely for political motives in a non-transparent manner,” he said.
He added that such surveys have raised concerns and created confusion within 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,” Vaishnaw noted.
Criticising the Congress and its allies, Vaishnaw remarked, “Congress governments have always opposed caste census. Caste was not included in any census conducted since Independence.” He further mentioned, “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.”
He accused the Congress and its INDIA alliance partners of using caste surveys as political instruments.
“This survey is known as the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC). It is evident that Congress and its INDIA alliance partners have used the caste census merely as a political tool,” Vaishnaw said.
In response to the announcement, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav welcomed the decision, recalling past efforts for caste-based data collection.
“During my tenure as the National President of Janata Dal, our United Front government in Delhi decided in the 1996–97 cabinet meeting to conduct a caste-based census in the 2001 census. However, the NDA government under Vajpayee later did not implement this decision,” he said.
He also mentioned the disruption of Parliament in 2011 to press for a caste-based count. “I, along with the late Mulayam Singh Ji and the late Sharad Yadav Ji, disrupted Parliament for several days over this demand.
Parliament only resumed functioning after the then Prime Minister, the late Dr. Manmohan Singh, assured us of conducting a socio-economic survey,” Yadav added.
Addressing the broader implications, Vaishnaw said, “Just as in the past, when the government introduced 10% reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) without causing distress to any section of society, this decision too reflects a balanced and inclusive approach.”
Alongside the caste census decision, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs also approved a major highway infrastructure project.
It sanctioned the development of a four-lane Greenfield Access Controlled corridor of National Highway No. 06 from Mawlyngkhung in Meghalaya to Panchgram in Assam, spanning 166.80 km at a total capital cost of Rs. 22,864 crore.
Besides, the CCEA fixed the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for the 2025–26 sugar season at Rs. 355 per quintal, with provisions for adjustments based on sugar recovery rates.
