Image Credit: Ministry of Railways
Cabinet Approves Caste Census in 2025 Enumeration
In a landmark policy decision, the Union Cabinet has approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in the upcoming national census. The announcement, made by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, marks a significant shift in India’s data collection strategy, with long-term implications for governance, welfare policies, and political discourse.
“Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has decided today that Caste enumeration should be included in the forthcoming census,” said Vaishnaw during a media briefing. The move comes after prolonged demands from various political parties and civil society organizations for updated caste data to inform equitable policy decisions.
Caste Enumeration to Be Conducted Under Central Census
The decision is aimed at ensuring that caste data collection is carried out uniformly across the country, under the framework of the official national census rather than through fragmented state-level surveys. Vaishnaw criticized past attempts at caste surveys conducted by certain states, describing them as politically motivated and lacking transparency.
“It is well understood that Congress and its INDI alliance partners have used the caste census only as a political tool. Some states have conducted surveys to enumerate castes. While some states have done this well, some others conducted such surveys only from a political angle in a non-transparent way. Such surveys created doubts in society. To ensure that our social fabric is not disturbed by politics, caste enumeration should be included in the census instead of surveys,” he stated.
Longstanding Demand and Political Tug-of-War
The last official caste census in India was conducted in 1931. Although a Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) was conducted in 2011, the caste data from it was never fully published, leading to sustained calls for more reliable figures. Many regional parties have long demanded caste enumeration to formulate policies based on actual social realities.
Vaishnaw pointed to the Congress’s historical reluctance, saying, “Congress governments have always opposed the caste census. In 2010, the late Dr. Manmohan Singh said that the matter of caste census should be considered in the Cabinet. A group of ministers was formed to consider this subject. Most of the political parties have recommended a caste census.”
Policy Implications and Administrative Planning
The inclusion of caste data is expected to reshape several aspects of policy formulation, especially in education, employment, and welfare distribution. Centralized enumeration will not only reduce duplication and inconsistencies but also provide a factual base for government schemes, reservations, and social justice programs.
With the census already delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the roadmap for caste enumeration will include development of clear methodologies, training of enumerators, and public awareness initiatives to ensure data accuracy and societal participation.
The move also has political implications. In recent elections, caste identity has become a dominant narrative, and accurate data may significantly influence political strategies and voter outreach. For policymakers, this decision provides an opportunity to recalibrate welfare outreach and affirmative action based on empirical data rather than estimates and assumptions.
The government is expected to announce timelines and operational details soon, as preparations for India’s most comprehensive census in decades begin in earnest.
