Caste census to be part of next population survey: Centre takes big move

The Union Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has decided that caste enumeration should be included in the forthcoming census, said Union Minister Ashiwini Vaishnaw on Union Cabinet decisions. Briefing the media, Vaishnaw said that some states have done caste surveys and conducting a census is in the domain of the central government. Vaishnaw alleged that Congress governments "have always opposed caste census".

"Caste was not included in all the census operations conducted since independence. In 2010, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singhji had assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census should be considered in the cabinet. A group of ministers was formed to consider this subject. Most political parties recommended a caste census. Despite this, the Congress government decided to conduct only a survey of caste instead of a census. That survey is known as SECC," Vaishnaw said.

"It is well understood that Congress and its INDI alliance partners have only used the caste census as a political tool. As per Article 246 of the Constitution of India, the subject census is listed at 69 in the Union list in the 7th schedule. According to the Constitution of India, census is a Union subject. Some states have conducted surveys to enumerate caste. Some states have done this well, while some others have conducted such surveys purely from a political angle in a non-transparent way. Considering all these facts and to ensure that a social fabric is not disturbed by politics, caste enumeration should be transparently included in the census instead of surveys," he added.

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Vaishnaw said this will strengthen the social and economic structure of the society while the nation continues to progress. "Under the leadership of PM Modi, the Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs has decided today that Caste enumeration should be included in the forthcoming census. This demonstrates that the government is committed to the values and interests of the society and the country," he said.

The minister said that the Modi government had earlier introduced ten per cent reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections without causing any stress on any section of the society. Congress has been demanding a caste census, with party leaders repeatedly making the demand in their speeches.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)