logo
The Centre must use the caste census wisely

The Centre must use the caste census wisely

The Print02-05-2025

Now, for the first time in nearly 94 years, the idea of including caste-based data in the census has resurfaced.
The last time caste-based data was included in the census was in 1931. A decade later, while data was collected on caste for the next census, it couldn't be published due to World War II. When the 1951 census was conducted, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's government ended the collection of caste-based data, although columns for religion, Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs) remained.
India's next population census was scheduled for 2020, with the data expected in 2021. However, it couldn't be conducted due to the Covid crisis. Meanwhile, opposition parties demanded that the central government include caste data in the upcoming census. It appeared that after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Narendra Modi government could initiate the census process at any time. Now, about a year after the general elections, the Centre has announced that the next population survey will include a caste census.
Also read: Caste census will lead to the decline of Indian economy
The consequences
When Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was part of the INDIA bloc, he conducted a caste survey in his state, with the report released in 2023. He was a vocal proponent of caste-based enumeration and made significant contributions to social justice politics. Later, he joined hands with the BJP. After him, Rahul Gandhi continued to raise the issue of caste census, but his calls did not gain much traction, largely because, barring a few instances, the Congress party has not consistently supported the cause of social justice. After Nitish Kumar departed from the Opposition alliance, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah tabled the state's caste census report in the Assembly, while the Telangana government also conducted a caste survey. But both efforts faced resistance within the Congress for various reasons. It's worth noting that the subject of Census is listed at number 69 in the Union List of the Seventh Schedule.
Interestingly, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) also supported the caste census, describing it as a sensitive issue. It advised against politicising the data and emphasised its use for empowering society.
Now that the caste census is set to take place, we must understand its potential consequences.
In a democracy where electoral power depends on numbers, many political parties may use the caste data to demand increased reservations and thereby expand their electoral base. The slogan of Kanshi Ram, 'Jiski jitni sankhya bhari, uski utni hissedari (greater the numbers, greater the share)', will echo in the streets.
On the other hand, the data will help accurately assess the conditions of marginalised communities. The central government can use this information to improve existing welfare schemes and introduce new ones. Although over the past few years, the Centre has implemented several innovative schemes for the backward classes, SCs, and STs.
The data will also assist in implementing the recommendations of the Rohini Commission, which advocated for sub-categorisation of other backward classes (OBC) to ensure that reservation benefits reach the most disadvantaged and marginalised within the backward classes. Currently, in every category, one or two dominant castes tend to receive the majority of the benefits of reservations. This data will also reveal the status of disadvantaged groups within Muslims and Christians, sparking a new debate.
Any social justice measures implemented using this data that don't compromise national unity and the social fabric of the country should be welcomed. It remains to be seen, however, in which direction the debate on social justice moves in the wake of this caste census.
Swadesh Singh is a Distinguished Fellow at India Foundation, New Delhi and teaches Political Science at Delhi University, Delhi. Views are personal.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Manoj Jha questions Centre's intentions for caste census
Manoj Jha questions Centre's intentions for caste census

The Hindu

time35 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

Manoj Jha questions Centre's intentions for caste census

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha on Monday (June 9, 2025) raised serious concerns over the Centre's intentions for the caste census. Mr. Jha said the policies of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were not only anti-reservation, but also conspiring to mislead the Backward Classes (BC) and Extremely Backward Classes (EBC). He alleged that the government was pretending in the name of a caste census, and there was a lack of transparency in the entire process. 'After the painful incident of Pahalgam, suddenly the Prime Minister realised that it is necessary to conduct a caste census as per the demand of most of the people, so he announced it in a hurry. But the move, character and face of the BJP, which has always been anti-Bahujan and against reservation, is now visible,' Mr. Jha said while addressing the press at the party office in Patna. 'Our national president Lalu Prasad ji has been warning that those who follow Bunch of Thoughts politics on the ideas of Guru Golwalkar can never be serious about reservation, which is now clearly visible,' he added. Mr. Jha asserted that the Centre wanted to create confusion in the name of the caste census and questioned the reason behind the government announcing that population figures for OBCs would not be released. He added that such figures were necessary as per Article 340 of the Constitution, he added. 'When the castes are counted and the figures are not revealed, then which policy will be implemented towards reservation and increasing the reservation in the private sector? NITI Aayog and other agencies can work on planning, social, economic upliftment and increasing reservation on the basis of data only when the data comes from the government level,' Mr. Jha said. Accompanied by the party's chief spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav and national vice-president of the party Uday Narayan Choudhary at the press briefing, Mr. Jha pointed said that besides party leader Tejashwi Yadav, leaders from the Congress, Samajwadi Party and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) were also in favour of the figures being published. Mr. Choudhary, on the other hand, said that the caste census was a hoax and nothing had been disclosed in this regard. He explained that the caste survey was conducted in Bihar under pressure from Mr. Yadav. Still, the 65% reservation benefit was not being given because the intention of the BJP and the Nitish Kumar government was not right, he charged. Tejashwi's demands Earlier in the day, in a post on X, Mr. Yadav addressed Chief Miniser Kumar about responding to his letter dated June 5 on increasing the reservation to 85% for all deprived classes in Bihar. 'Nitish ji you did not respond to my letter, is it because you have no answer or your officials do not show you the letters? The parties that beat the drum of social justice, on whose strength the Modi government is running, why are they failing to include the 65% reservation limit increased by our government in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution?' Mr. Yadav asked. 'The Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union Minister Chirag Paswan, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Upendra Kushwaha should speak out on the issue of reservation against this injustice faced by Dalit, Adivasi, backward, and extremely backward classes. Politics is not just about clinging to power,' he added. Mr. Yadav further said, 'If all these people cannot even get this small demand fulfilled by the Prime Minister, then their politics and staying in such an alliance is shameful. If Nitish Ji is unable to speak on this issue in front of the Prime Minister and Home Minister, then he should call a special one-day session of the Assembly, and then see how we get it implemented.'

PM to visit Cyprus, Croatia during his trip to Canada
PM to visit Cyprus, Croatia during his trip to Canada

The Hindu

time38 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

PM to visit Cyprus, Croatia during his trip to Canada

NEW DELHI Reiterating India's traditional foreign policy goals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Cyprus and Croatia, official sources said in New Delhi on Monday (June 9, 2025). Mr. Modi will visit Cyprus on his way to Canada to participate in the G-7 summit (June 15-17), and on the way back, he will pay a visit to Croatia, which will be the first-ever Prime Minister-level visit from the Indian side since the formation of Croatia in 1991 after the dissolution of former Yugoslavia. Both visits are being described as important from a political as well as a commercial point of view. Sources in New Delhi hinted that the Cyprus visit will serve as a message to Türkiye, which had supplied weapons to Pakistan, which it used during Operation Sindoor in May. It will also act as a timely revival of top-level contacts as Cyprus is set to take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026. Cyprus had condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and indicated that it would raise the issue of cross-border terrorism from Pakistan at the EU-level discussions. Cyprus has been consistent in its support of India on the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism from Pakistan. That apart, the Mediterranean country, which has a territorial dispute with Ankara regarding the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, has also supported India in its campaign for a permanent seat at the U.N. Security Council, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and the International Atomic Energy Agency. In a reciprocal gesture, India has supported the resolution of the Cypriot territorial dispute as per UNSC resolutions, international law, and the EU acquis, the collective EU body on laws and regulations. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had visited Cyprus in 1982, while Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited the island nation in 2002. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Nicosia in December 2022, while President Ram Nath Kovind visited in 2018. Officials said Mr. Modi is expected to meet President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides. Mr. Modi's visit to Croatia is also being described as a tribute to the strong tradition of Indology that exists in the country. The University of Zagreb has been a seat of serious study of Indology, and Croatia is noted for the presence of ISKCON (International Society of Krishna Consciousness). In recent years, these cultural contacts were supplemented by growing defence and technological relationships. Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić-Radman participated in the Raisina Dialogue in March 2023, when he signed a memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation with Mr. Jaishankar. Sources said the Croatia visit has additional diplomatic importance as it indicates India's continued commitment to partners of the non-alignment, as the erstwhile Yugoslavia's founding father, Josip Broz Tito, was a Croatian as well. Officials in New Delhi indicated that both Cyprus and Croatia have acquired growing significance in recent years after the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) was launched during the G-20 summit in New Delhi in 2023. Croatia and Cyprus are being viewed here as 'potential participants' and investors in the IMEC-related projects. Croatia, with its extensive maritime facilities and ports on the Adriatic Sea, is attractive for India's commitment to the IMEC, sources said, setting the context of Mr. Modi's upcoming visit.

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel inaugurates Shri Swaminarayan Gurukul, commences academic session in Dabhoi
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel inaugurates Shri Swaminarayan Gurukul, commences academic session in Dabhoi

India Gazette

timean hour ago

  • India Gazette

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel inaugurates Shri Swaminarayan Gurukul, commences academic session in Dabhoi

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], June 9 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the newly constructed Swaminarayan Gurukul in Dabhoi, Vadodara district, and formally commenced the academic session. The event was graced by the presence of saints, spiritual leaders, and distinguished dignitaries, according to the release. He said that 'In the Indian education system along with knowledge, values are also essential.' He further explained that in the ancient Gurukul tradition, princes received education and initiation from revered sages. Lord Rama was educated by sages Vashishta and Vishwamitra, while Lord Shri Krishna acquired knowledge from Rishi Sandipani. This very Gurukul tradition is now being revitalised through modern methods, thereby honouring and preserving our ancient heritage. The Chief Minister stated that institutions like these are, in contemporary times, blending the Gurukul tradition with modern advancements to offer students not only academic knowledge but also value-based and culturally grounded training essential for holistic development. The establishment of a modern hostel alongside a technologically equipped school campus marks the beginning of a new era in education. He expressed firm belief that this Gurukul by the Swaminarayan institution will nurture a generation poised for a bright future founded on patriotism, values, and spirituality. He mentioned that under the New Education Policy, which advances the legacy of ancient universities like Nalanda and Takshashila, the Prime Minister has established sector-specific universities. For the first time, an education system rooted in Indian tradition and based on the mother tongue has been implemented. Under the Prime Minister's guidance, the state government is bringing quality improvements in schools through the Gunotsav campaign. CM Patel emphasised that special attention has been given to the education of girls through initiatives such as Kanya Kelavani and Shala Praveshotsav. Chief Minister stated that through the Namo Lakshmi and Namo Saraswati Yojana, students are being encouraged to opt for science streams. 'Within just one year, there has been a 27 percent increase in the number of students enrolling in the science stream. Through Mission School of Excellence and Vidya Samiksha Kendra, both standards and quality of education have progressed,' he said. The Prime Minister has resolved to establish India not just as a developing nation but as Viksit Bharat by 2047. Chief Minister urged that to realize this resolution, we must all contribute to shaping an 'Amrit Generation' that is educated, value-oriented, and determined. The CM mentioned that institutions like Shri Swaminarayan Gurukul play a vital role in supporting environmental initiatives led by the Prime Minister, including Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam, Catch the Rain, and No Usage of Single Use Plastic. Congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all the brave soldiers of the Indian Army who displayed exceptional valour in protecting Bharat Mata for the unforgettable success of Operation Sindoor, the Chief Minister said that this operation has given a new direction to India's fight against terrorism. The Prime Minister has set such an example of national defence that it will inspire future generations to serve the nation. MLA Shailesh Mehta stated that, considering the cultural ethos of Darbhavati Nagari, the establishment of a Gurukul imparting value-based education had become a vital necessity. Under the leadership of the institution's directors--K P Swami, Nautam Swami, and Bapu Swami--this Gurukul has not merely been inaugurated today, but has marked the beginning of a new chapter in shaping the future of Darbhavati Nagari. 'The Chief Minister has shown special affection for Darbhavati by providing unique grants and developmental schemes, and therefore, I proudly say today that the Chief Minister's contribution to Darbhavati's development is invaluable. I express my heartfelt gratitude to him for that,' Mehta said. Jitubhai Vaghani, MLA Bhavnagar, stated that generally, when any educational institution is managed by commercial entities, it often operates with a profit-oriented approach. However, when such institutions are managed by saints, they are guided by a spirit of service and are enriched with cultural and moral values -- a truth that society has experienced firsthand. Swaminarayan Gurukul is not just an educational institution; it is an abode of values. Such institutions, equipped with modern technology and rooted in values, contribute not only to teaching but also to showing students how to live. The real success of a Gurukul is when students feel drawn to attend, to study, and are shaped with Indianness, ethics, and patriotism alongside their education, the release said. Nautam Swami presented an outline of Swaminarayan Gurukul's activities. (ANI)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store