Caste Census: Modi government will conduct caste census, it will be conducted along with the main census; Big decision in cabinet meeting

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav (file photo)

The census was conducted every 10 years since 1951, but in 2021 the census was postponed due to the Corona epidemic. Census data is very important for the government to formulate and implement policies as well as to ensure equitable distribution of the country’s resources. All political parties, including the opposition Congress, are demanding a caste census so that the total number of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the country can be known.

The Narendra Modi government at the Center has taken a big decision regarding caste census. The government has announced to conduct caste census. This census will be conducted along with the main census. On the decisions of the cabinet after the cabinet meeting, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said, ‘The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has today decided that caste census should be included in the upcoming census.’

He said that the Congress and its previous governments have always opposed the caste census. Since independence, caste has not been included in any census process. In 2010, the then Prime Minister late Manmohan Singh assured in the Lok Sabha that the caste census would be placed before the cabinet. After this, a cabinet group was formed. In this, most of the political parties recommended caste census. Despite this, the Congress did only the formality. It thought it appropriate to conduct only a survey. The Union Minister said, ‘It can be well understood that the Congress and its Indy alliance partners have used the caste census only as a political tool. The subject of census is mentioned at serial number 69 of the Union List of Article 246 of the Constitution.

It is a central subject. However, some states have conducted surveys for counting castes smoothly, while conducting such surveys in a non-transparent manner from a political point of view. Such surveys have spread confusion in the society. To ensure that our social fabric does not come under the pressure of politics. We should prepare a platform for caste census. This will ensure that the society will be economically and socially strong and the development of the country will also continue uninterrupted.

Census is done every 10 years
The census was done every 10 years since 1951, but in 2021 the census was postponed due to the Corona epidemic. The work of updating the National Population Register (NPR) is also pending. The new date of the census has not been officially announced yet. According to sources, the census data will be released in 2026. This will change the cycle of census in future. Like 2025-2035 and then 2035 to 2045.

Why is the census important?

Census data is very important for the government to formulate and implement policies as well as ensure equitable distribution of the country’s resources. This reveals not only the population but also many important aspects like demography, economic condition. All political parties including the opposition Congress are demanding caste census, so that the total number of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the country can be known.

The first census was conducted in 1872 and the last in 2011
Census is conducted in India every ten years. The first census was conducted in 1872. After independence in 1947, the first census was conducted in 1951 and the last census was conducted in 2011. According to the data, the total population of India in 2011 was 121 crores, while the sex ratio was 940 women per 1000 men and the literacy rate was 74.04 percent.