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EYE ON INDIA MAY 09, 2025 | The Indian Eye 6

CASTE CENSUS

After Modi Govt’s ‘histroic’

move, parties squabble with each

other to claim credit

Echoing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s call for a clear roadmap,

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh criticizes the PM for just providing a

“headline without a deadline”

OUR BUREAU
New Delhi

ll of a sudden on Wednesday, Union Minis-
ter Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced the Cabi-
Anet Committee on Political Affairs’ decision
to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming
national census. “While some states have con-
ducted 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 circum-
stances, and to ensure that our social fabric does
not come under political pressure, it has been de-
cided that caste enumeration should be included
in the main census instead of being conducted as a
separate survey,” Vaishnaw said.
Bihar, Karnataka, and Telangana have already
conducted a caste census in their respective state.
Telangana has passed a bill to implement a 42 per
cent backwards class reservation for people in the
state.
Leaders of the National Democratic Alliance
(NDA) on Wednesday welcomed the Union Cab-
inet’s decision to include caste enumeration in the
forthcoming national census. Union Minister Chi-
rag Paswan took to X to express his support for
the move. “An important decision was taken in Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh addresses a press conference on caste census at AICC in New Delhi on Thursday (ANI)
the national interest by approving the caste-based
census in the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Caste Census (SECC), but the findings were never after 11 years” taken this decision. “We had said
the Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji today. I and fully released or utilized. in the Parliament that we will make Caste Census
my party had been demanding for a long time that Jumping into the issue, Congress leader Ra- happen. We had also said that we would scrap the
a caste-based census be conducted in the country, hul Gandhi said on Wednesday that the party sup- 50% cap, the artificial wall that is in place. Naren-
today this demand has been accepted. For this, ports the government’s decision to conduct caste dra Modi used to say that there are just four castes.
I express my heartfelt gratitude to the popular enumeration during the forthcoming population Don’t know what happened but suddenly after 11
Prime Minister of the country,” Chirag said. census, but it should specify a timeline. years, Caste Census has been announced,” Rahul
Caste enumeration was a regular feature of Addressing a press conference here, Rahul Gandhi said.
census exercises during British rule from 1881 to Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in Lok Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on
1931. However, after independence, the practice Sabha, said Telangana has provided a model for Thursday welcomed the government’s decision to
was discontinued except for Scheduled Castes conducting caste census and it can provide a blue- conduct a caste census, calling it a significant step
(SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). The last at- print for the exercise at the national level. towards establishing social justice. According to
tempt at collecting caste data at a national level He said the Congress has been demanding a Yadav, this move is a major victory for the PDA
was in 2011 through the Socio-Economic and caste census and the government had “suddenly Continued on next page... >>

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