RSS Green Light, Bihar Model, JDU Boost: Caste Census Gets Centre's Nod

News18

30-04-2025

Last Updated:
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's rare meeting with Prime Minister Modi at his residence in Delhi last evening is believed to have played a key role in shaping the Centre's decision
In a crucial development amid deliberations related to the post-Pahalgam terror attack scenario, the Modi government announced a caste census after the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday — breaking a long-standing deadlock on the issue of caste-based enumeration in the country. This also clears the path for the next population census, which has been pending for the past 14 years, as the last census was conducted in 2011. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's rare meeting with the Prime Minister at his residence in Delhi last evening is believed to have played a key role in shaping the Centre's decision.
The move marks a major policy shift on releasing identity-based data, coming eight months after the RSS softened its stance on the caste-based census during its Samanvaya Baithak (Coordination Meeting) in Kerala's Palakkad last September. The Sangh stated that a caste census may be conducted, provided the government ensures the data will be used solely for welfare purposes and not for electoral or political gain.
A senior IAS officer serving in the Central government further broke it down. Speaking to News18 about the timing of the announcement, he said, 'The decision also signals that the government remains unfazed by Pakistan's alleged rhetoric. It is committed to bringing justice for the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, but it will move firmly. This announcement sends a clear message that under the Modi government, governance and policy decisions will proceed undeterred, while security responses remain in the hands of the armed forces and security establishments. Just two days after the attack, PM Modi travelled to Bihar to honour his administrative commitment for Panchayati Raj Day, and on 1 May, he is scheduled to inaugurate the WAVE summit."
'This is a promise Nitish Kumar made and kept. He showed that governance can be rooted in accountability," said Rajeev Ranjan Prasad, senior JDU leader and the party's national spokesperson, emphasising the continuity of purpose that outlived political realignments in Bihar. He further added that the decision to conduct a caste census was initially taken by a BJP–JDU coalition in the state, while the caste survey was conducted later.
जाति जनगणना कराने का केंद्र सरकार का फैसला स्वागतयोग्य है। जाति जनगणना कराने की हमलोगों की मांग पुरानी है। यह बेहद खुशी की बात है कि केन्द्र सरकार ने जाति जनगणना कराने का निर्णय किया है। जाति जनगणना कराने से विभिन्न वर्गों के लोगों की संख्या का पता चलेगा जिससे उनके उत्थान एवं…— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) April 30, 2025
'The idea of a caste survey was first conceived during Nitish Kumar's tenure with the NDA, although it was finally conducted under a new JDU–RJD alliance. Nitish Kumar remained consistent in his commitment, fulfilling a promise that had been politically fraught and socially complex. Bihar is the pioneer state in this matter," he added.
Nitish Kumar's government framed the Bihar survey not just as a political act, but as a model for inclusive development — one that could guide policy-making with hard data.
Apart from the political-electoral dynamics surrounding the announcement of the caste census, the recent shift in the RSS's stance on the issue is an equally significant development. It reflects the Sangh's evolved position on contentious matters such as caste enumeration. The organisation has long campaigned for Hindu unity across the nation and has consistently appealed against the alleged 'division' caused by caste identities. At its Akhil Bharatiya Samanvaya Baithak (ABS) meeting in Palakkad in September, the RSS gave a clear go-ahead for caste-based enumeration.
The RSS clarified that it had no objection to the collection of caste data, provided it is used for 'public welfare and not for divisive political-electoral agendas'. This statement is now being viewed as a crucial green light that enabled the Modi government to move forward without facing ideological backlash from its core support base.
With both Bihar's ground-level implementation and the RSS's national-level backing, the caste census now appears set to redefine the terms of India's socio-economic and political policy, as well as its electoral discourse. For a country still grappling with the realities of social justice, representation, and economic equity, this exercise could potentially provide the empirical foundation that policymakers, welfare planners, and political leaders have long lacked. As the government prepares to embark on this massive data exercise, one thing seems clear: the politics of caste is entering a new phase—driven by numbers, not just narratives.
First Published:
April 30, 2025, 18:17 IST
News india RSS Green Light, Bihar Model, JDU Boost: Caste Census Gets Centre's Nod