Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Cabinet’s landmark decision to include caste enumeration in the upcoming national census.
“The decision of the Cabinet is ‘historic’, and in the coming time, caste enumeration would be there in the census, which hasn’t been done for a long time since independence. Congress was in power for so long, but they were never in favour of this… A few state governments have tried this. I thank PM Modi for this decision as it will pave a new way for social justice in the country…”, Pradhan said.
The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by PM Modi, approved the inclusion of caste data in the census during a meeting held on Wednesday.
Following the meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw addressed the media, stating that the move reflects the government’s dedication to the holistic interests and values of society.
According to Article 246 of the Indian Constitution, census is a Union subject listed under item 69 of the Union List in the Seventh Schedule, giving the central government exclusive legislative authority over it.
Vaishnaw explained:
“While some states have conducted surveys to enumerate castes, these surveys have varied in transparency and intent, with some conducted purely from a political angle, creating doubts in society.
Considering all these circumstances, and to ensure that our social fabric does not come under political pressure, it has been decided that caste enumeration should be included in the main census instead of being conducted as a separate survey.”
He added that this decision would contribute to strengthening society both economically and socially:
“This will ensure that society becomes stronger economically and socially, and the country’s progress continues without hindrance. When a provision of 10 per cent reservation was made for the economically weaker sections of society, it did not create tension in any section of society,” Vaishnaw said.
The government also emphasized that caste has been excluded from all post-independence census exercises, and this new move marks a significant shift aimed at achieving equitable development across all social groups.