The Union Government has officially announced that caste enumeration will be included in the upcoming national census. This marks a significant shift in policy and comes after years of political debate and state-level efforts, most notably by Bihar. The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and was announced by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday.
Key Highlights:
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Caste census to be part of the national census: Vaishnaw emphasized that this exercise will be conducted in a "transparent manner" to promote economic and social empowerment, and ensure inclusive development.
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Delayed Census to resume: The national census, originally scheduled for April 2020, was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and is now being prepared with new additions like caste enumeration.
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Political pushback and targeting of Congress: Vaishnaw criticized Congress and its allies in the INDIA bloc for allegedly using the caste issue for political gain. He highlighted how the Congress-led UPA had opted for a Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) instead of a full caste census in 2011.
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Centre vs States on authority: Vaishnaw clarified that census falls under the Union List (Entry 69 of Article 246), making it a central subject. He argued that various state-led caste surveys were either non-transparent or politically motivated.
Political Reactions:
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Nitish Kumar welcomes the move: Bihar CM and BJP ally Nitish Kumar hailed the decision, calling it "historic" and in line with Bihar's long-standing demand. Bihar had already published its own caste census in 2023, which found that Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) formed the largest social group in the state (36% of the population).
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Congress reiterates its demand: While being criticized for inaction in the past, Congress has been pushing hard recently. Rahul Gandhi has even pledged to remove the 50% cap on caste-based reservations in education and jobs.
Other Major Cabinet Decisions:
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Infrastructure push in Northeast: Approval was granted for a ₹22,864 crore greenfield high-speed corridor between Shillong (Meghalaya) and Silchar (Assam) under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM), boosting connectivity in the Northeast.
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Sugarcane FRP hike: The Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane for the 2025–26 season was raised to ₹355/quintal for a basic recovery rate of 10.25%, with proportional increases or reductions based on the actual sugar recovery rate.
This announcement positions the government to address long-standing demands for caste data to inform social justice policy, while also setting the stage for fresh political debates as the next general election nears.
