The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the inclusion of caste data in the upcoming national census, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced. He said the move aims to promote social and economic equity through a transparent process.
Vaishnaw criticized the Congress and INDIA bloc, accusing them of using caste surveys for political gain while opposing a full census. He argued that only a centrally-led effort can ensure accuracy and unity, unlike state-led surveys that often lacked transparency.
Though Congress and regional parties have long demanded a caste census, some recent efforts—like Karnataka’s—have faced backlash from dominant communities. Bihar, meanwhile, became the first state to release caste data in 2023, revealing that over 63% of its population falls under Backward or Extremely Backward Classes.
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