Caste enumeration to be done in the upcoming Census
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, April 30, 2025: Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has decided to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census. This demonstrates that the present government is committed to the holistic interests and values of the nation and society.
As per Article 246 of the Constitution of India, Census is a union subject listed at 69 in the Union List in the Seventh Schedule. While some states have conducted surveys to enumerate castes, these surveys have varied in transparency and intent, with some conducted purely from a political angle, creating doubts in society. Considering all these circumstances, and to ensure that our social fabric does not come under political pressure, it has been decided that caste enumeration should be included in the main census instead of being conducted as a separate survey.
This will ensure that society becomes stronger economically and socially, and the country’s progress continues without hindrance. It is noteworthy that when a provision of 10 percent reservation was made for the economically weaker sections of society, it did not create tension in any section of society.
Caste was excluded from all census operations conducted since independence. In 2010, then Prime Minister Late Dr. Manmohan Singh assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census would be considered in the Cabinet. A Group of Ministers was formed to deliberate on this subject, and most political parties recommended conducting a caste census. Despite this, the previous government opted for a survey instead of a caste census, known as the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC).
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah hailed the decision of Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to include caste census in the upcoming census as a historic decision of the Modi Government under its commitment to social justice.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation in a post on X platform said, the CCPA meeting held under the leadership of PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji today corrected a historical wrong by deciding in favour of the integration of caste enumeration with the population census, and sent the message of its firm commitment to social equity and rights for every section of the society.
Shri Amit Shah said, the Congress and its allied parties opposed caste enumeration when they wielded power for decades but made it their electoral plank when in opposition. This decision will empower all economically and socially disadvantaged sections, promote inclusion, and pave new paths for the progress of the underprivileged.
