16th Census: 'Changed his mind?' Opposition questions PM Modi over missing 'caste' word in notification
NEW DELHI: Centre has come under the circle of skepticism again over missing "caste" word in the gazette notification issued for India's 16th census on Monday.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his changing stance on the caste census over the years and asked if he had again "changed his mind" after ensuring that the upcoming census would include caste enumeration.
"What is new in the notification that has come today - it has been said in this notification that the census will be conducted in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal and Uttarakhand in October 2026 and in other states of India in March 2027. The announcement made on April 30 in this regard has been repeated again. However, it only talks about census, not caste census. Why caste is not mentioned in it - has PM Modi changed his mind?" Ramesh asked.
The gazette notification does not mention the word "caste" in it. However, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who posted the notification on X, said, "Gazette notification issued for India's 16th census with caste enumeration!"
Likewise, Union home minister Amit Shah, who reviewed the preparedness of 16th Census on Sunday said that the "census will include caste enumeration for the first time".
"Reviewed the preparations for the 16th Census with senior officials.
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Tomorrow, the gazette notification of the census will be issued. The census will include caste enumeration for the first time. As many as 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors and around 1.3 lakh census functionaries will conduct the operation with cutting-edge mobile digital gadgets," he had said.
Jairam Ramesh, however, cited past records when PM Modi opposed the caste enumeration while also questioning no mention of any deadline.
"PM Modi says on 28 April 2024 - Those who talk of caste census have the thinking of 'Urban Naxal'. Modi government gives an affidavit in the Supreme Court on 23 September 2021 saying that we will not conduct caste census. This is against our policy. Even on the question asked in the Lok Sabha, the Modi government said that we will not conduct caste census, we oppose it. But suddenly the Modi government takes a U-turn on April 30, 2025 and says that caste census will be conducted.
That is, the government had to take this decision under pressure from the Congress party, Congress President Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Mr. Rahul Gandhi," he said.
"That is, there is no deadline in this. Modi government has issued this notification just to make headlines. There are many questions in this matter and we will continue to pressurize that 'Telangana model' should be adopted at the national level," he added.
The ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Monday issued a notification stating that the 16th Census will begin in snow-bound, non-synchronous regions of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand in October 2026, with the rest of the country to follow in March 2027.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by Section three of the Census Act 1948 and in suppression of the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs dated March 26, 2018, the Central Government declared that a census of the population of India shall be taken during the year 2027," the MHA notification read.
The reference date for India's 16th Census will be March 1, 2027, except for Ladakh and the snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, where it will be October 1, 2026. Additionally, Union minister Vaishnaw announced on April 30 that caste enumeration will be included in the upcoming census, following a decision by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs.
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