Caste census

Caste census
General information
Country India
Topics
Census topics
  • Caste
AuthorityMinistry of Home Affairs,
Results
Proposed and Announced on30 April 2025
Part ofUpcoming decadal census in India (due since 2021)

Caste census is a census to be conducted in India by the Central Government of India. The proposed census was decided under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the cabinet committee of political affairs (CCPA) on 30 April 2025. It has been decided that a caste enumeration should be included with the forthcoming census. The exact time has not been declared yet. It is unclear that when the next census will be held.

The decision of the cabinet was announced by the Central Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. It has been seen as a step that would help in drafting "equitable and targeted" policies by the present Central Government of India led by the Bhartiya Janta Party in India. The Central Home Minister Amit Shah has described the decision as a "historic decision". He has also described that the historic decision as “committed to social justice”.

Description

The caste census is a systematic recording of individuals’ caste identities during the nationwide census in the country. The Central minister Ashwini Vaishnaw expressed his view on the proposed census and said that it would "strengthen the social and economic structure of our society while the nation continues to progress”.

The Caste census will happen for the first time in 100 years by the Central Government of India. It will be the part of the upcoming census in India.

History

According to Peabody, the first systematic caste-wise enumeration of households in the Indian subcontinent was conducted between 1658 and 1664 across seven districts of the then Marwar Kingdom, including Jodhpur city which was its capital. It was conducted by the then home minister Munhata Nainsi of the kingdom for the purpose of tax documentation. It was not to for classification of society or creation of social hierarchies but solving a tax related problem. During the period of the British rule in India, caste census was included in the decadal censuses to categorise the population by caste, religion and occupation. In 1871–72, the first detailed caste census was conducted by the government of British Raj in India. It was practiced between the period 1881 to 1931. The last caste census was conducted in the year 1931 in which 4,147 castes were recorded. After the independence of India, the caste enumeration was stopped by the newly independent Government of India led by the prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1951. The caste enumeration was stopped to avoid reinforcing social divisions in the Indian society. But, there was an exception made for the enumeration of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the decadal censuses. Therefore, the enumeration of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes is being conducted in every census since 1951. In 1961, the Government of India permitted states for conducting their own surveys to compile OBC lists, but national caste census was not conducted.

In 2010, the Bhartiya Janata Party supported caste-based census.

By 2022, a number of political parties including Janata Dal United, Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) demanded caste-based census.

In 2025, Indian government announced it will conduct caste census after nearly a century. The leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi has welcomed the decision. He said "We have shown we can pressure govt" He has demanded a clear timeline for its completion. He has called it "The first step towards deep social reform".

See also

Related articles

References

  1. ↑ "Caste census to be part of next population survey: Centre's big move". Hindustan Times.
  2. 1 2 3 "Govt announces caste count in next census, Shah says 'historic decision'". The Indian Express. 2025-04-30. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  3. ↑ "Government approves caste census: What is it and why it matters - Explained". The Times of India. 2025-04-30. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  4. ↑ "जाति गणना से चली जाएगी भारत से जाति?". Hindustan.
  5. ↑ "A 'caste census' carried out in the kingdom of Marwar, two centuries before the British". The Indian Express. 2025-06-30. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  6. ↑ Sharma, Anish Gupta & Shubham (2024-12-05). "Is the caste Census a useful exercise?". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  7. ↑ "THE LOWDOWN: The politics of caste census and who benefits from knowing your 'jaati'". India Today. 2025-05-01. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  8. ↑ "Government approves caste census: What is it and why it matters - Explained". The Times of India. 2025-04-30. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  9. ↑ Shetty, K. Ashok Vardhan (2024-07-10). "The case for a caste Census". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  10. ↑ Vyas, Neena (2021-11-28). "No harm in caste-based census: BJP". The Hindu. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  11. ↑ Deshmane, Akshay (2021-08-23). "Nitish Kumar, Owaisi, Tejashwi and others urge Union govt for caste census". The News Minute. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  12. ↑ Roy, Snehashish (2022-10-31). "'People need to understand makeup of Indian population': Rahul on caste census". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  13. ↑ "On Caste Census Issue, Nitish Kumar Gets Bihar Congress's Support". www.ndtv.com. 2022-01-09. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  14. ↑ "Caste census: The case for and against counting castes in India". BBC Home. 2025-11-13. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  15. ↑ "'We have shown we can pressure govt': Rahul Gandhi on Centre's caste census decision". The Times of India. 2025-04-30. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-04-30.