The Government of India has announced that the next nationwide population census will commence on April 1, 2026, and, for the first time in over nine decades, will include comprehensive caste enumeration. The census will be conducted in two phases under the Census Act of 1948 and the Census

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has welcomed the government’s decision to incorporate caste-based data collection in the national census but called for a definitive timeline and clarity on its implementation. His remarks came amid renewed national debate on the need for accurate caste data to ensure equitable policy-making and targeted welfare. “We support this decision