Congress seeks clarity from government on caste census

The Congress on Monday pressed the Narendra Modi government to clarify if the upcoming nationwide census will include a caste census, following the BJP-led Centre’s extension of the tenure of the registrar-general and census commissioner. The extension of the registrar-general's tenure has sparked speculation that the general census may be conducted soon.

While a notification has been issued, the Congress has raised critical questions that remain unanswered. In a social media post, Congress MP and general-secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh highlighted two unresolved issues: whether the census will include a caste count, and how it may affect the representation of states in Parliament.

These are longstanding issues for the Congress, underscored in recent months by Lok Sabha leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who has made the caste census a key plank of his political agenda.

Ramesh noted that the census, delayed since 2021, is now likely to take place soon. However, he raised concerns about what this census will entail, particularly regarding caste data.

Historically, each census since 1951 has counted Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, but a broader caste census has not been included in post-Independence enumerations.

Ramesh argued that this responsibility lies with the Central government under the Indian Constitution. The Congress has intensified its demand for a comprehensive caste census, a cause Gandhi has championed, promising its implementation if Congress is voted to power.

This commitment is central to the Congress’ social justice agenda and the foundation of the multi-party INDIA bloc, which includes several regional parties with strong support among marginalised communities.

Ramesh also pointed to concerns over parliamentary representation, particularly in southern states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Article 82 of the Constitution mandates that the delimitation of Lok Sabha seats be based on census data collected after 2026, which has sparked fears among some southern states that they may lose representation if the allocation of seats is revised.

Both Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin have recently voiced concerns that states with successful family planning programmes could be disadvantaged in the reallocation of seats.

To address these issues, Ramesh urged the Modi government to call an all-party meeting. Given the sensitivity of caste data and its potential influence on parliamentary representation, such a discussion would be crucial for transparency, he argued.

Observers believe that as the Modi government’s stance on a caste count remains unclear, debates around caste data and state representation are set to become a significant issue in the upcoming Jharkhand and Maharashtra elections, with the Congress positioning itself as the leading advocate for using comprehensive caste data in national policy.