In a significant policy shift, the Union government on Wednesday, April 30, announced that a caste census will be conducted as part of the forthcoming decadal census.

The announcement was made by Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw during a cabinet briefing, although no specific timeline was provided for the commencement of the census, which has been pending since 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision, seen as a strategic move ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

Vaishnaw said the move reaffirmed the government’s commitment to social justice, similar to the introduction of 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) without disrupting existing quotas.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) has decided that today, i.e., April 30, 2025, caste enumeration should be included in the forthcoming census. This demonstrates that our government is committed to the values and interests of society and the country, just as in the past, when our government introduced 10% reservation for the economically weaker sections (EWS) of society without causing any strain on any section,” Vaishnaw said.

The caste census has been a longstanding demand of opposition parties and emerged as a key issue during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign.

Addressing this, Vaishnaw accused the Congress and its allies in the INDIA bloc of using the caste census as a political weapon, claiming that successive Congress governments had opposed the idea.

“Congress governments have always opposed the caste census. Caste was not included in any of the census operations conducted since Independence. In 2010, the late Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured the Lok Sabha that the caste census would be considered by the Cabinet. A group of ministers was formed to examine the issue. Most political parties had recommended it. Despite this, the Congress government decided to conduct only a survey of caste instead of a caste census. That survey is known as the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC). It is well known that the Congress and its INDI alliance partners have used the caste census only as a political tool,” he claimed.

While not naming states directly, Vaishnaw made indirect references to Bihar, where the Nitish Kumar-led government conducted a caste survey in 2023 while allied with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) as part of the INDIA bloc.

He also hinted at similar exercises carried out in Congress-ruled Telangana and Karnataka, criticizing some of these surveys as politically motivated and lacking transparency.

Citing Article 246 of the Constitution, Vaishnaw underscored that the census is a Union subject listed under Entry 69 of the Union List in the Seventh Schedule. He said that while some states had carried out caste-based surveys effectively, others had done so in a manner that created social divisions.

“According to the Constitution of India, the census is a Union subject. Some states have conducted surveys to enumerate caste. Some have done this well, while others have conducted such surveys purely from a political angle in a non-transparent way. Such surveys have created doubts in society,” Vaishnaw said.

Emphasizing the need for a transparent and nationally coordinated effort, Vaishnaw said, “Considering all these facts, and to ensure that our social fabric is not disturbed by politics, caste enumeration should be transparently included in the census instead of being conducted through separate surveys. This will strengthen the social and economic structure of our society while allowing the nation to continue progressing.”

The announcement comes as a stark departure from the BJP’s position during the 2024 general elections, when the party largely dismissed caste census demands.

In Bihar, however, the BJP had supported the Nitish Kumar-led government's legislative efforts following the state-level caste survey, which revealed significant underrepresentation of marginalized communities in government employment and education.

The Bihar government had attempted to exceed the 50% reservation cap mandated by the Supreme Court, a move struck down by the Patna High Court in June 2024. The matter is currently under consideration by the Supreme Court.

The Modi government’s latest move to include caste enumeration in the national census signals a recalibration of its strategy, particularly in states like Bihar where caste politics remain a powerful electoral factor.