Centre Discussing Caste Column In Census Amid Opposition Pressure

The Centre is pondering the inclusion of a caste count as part of the Census exercise pending since 2021. The Narendra Modi-led government is actively discussion on expanding the data collection to include caste enumeration, according to a report by The Hindu citing government sources.

The report quoted sources as saying, "Discussions are on to include a column to record the caste of people during the next Census exercise. No decision has been taken yet."

The Census was last conducted in 2011 and the government has delayed it citing Covid-19 pandemic and other factors. The demand for caste data to be included has been consistent from opposition parties like Congress as well as NDA allies like Lok Janshakti Party of Chirag Paswan and Janata Dal (United) of Nitish Kumar. One of the reasons behind the delay, as cited in the report, is the opposition's demand for it.

India is likely to see the delayed population Census in September, according to Reuters. The comprehensive process is expected to take 18 months to complete and the final report is likely to be released around March 2026.

Additionally, the report stated that the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation are actively working on a detailed timeline for the Census. The final approval, however, from the Prime Minister's Office is awaited, added the report.

Also Read: Gaurav Gogoi Pushes for Immediate Census Timeline as India Faces Data Gaps