The Union Cabinet on Wednesday announced that the caste census will be a part of the upcoming national census to be held next year. This comes amid demand from the opposition parties including Congress, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi raising the issue in his every rally and meeting. The Congress has also written to the government in the past and raised the issue in Parliament while demanding a nationwide caste census.
Reacting to the caste census announcement by the Central government, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “The Modi government, committed to social justice, has taken a historic decision today. In the CCPA meeting held today under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, a message of strong commitment towards social equality and rights of every section has been given by deciding to include caste census in the forthcoming census.”
Opposition Reaction
The opposition leaders have claimed a victory over the announcement. Notably, Bihar was the first state to implement the caste census when RJD was part of the Nitish government. Reacting to the caste census announcement, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that this was the party’s 30-year-old demand.
“It’s a victory for us – the Socialists and Lalu Yadav… Earlier, all the parties from Bihar met the PM, but he denied our demand. Many of the ministers denied this, but this is the strength of ours that they have to work on our agenda,” said the former Bihar Deputy CM.
Yadav further said, “The caste census must be done before delimitation and then the way Dalits, SCs, STs and Adivasis have reserved seats in parliament and in state assemblies, OBCs and Extremely Backward classes must have reserve seats.”
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh shared the letter of Mallikarjun Kharge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding the caste census and said, “On April 16 2023 – that is, over two years back – Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge had written this letter to the PM. Need anything more be said?”
On April 16 2023 – that is, over two years back – Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge had written this letter to the PM. Need anything more be said? pic.twitter.com/Fx1xQnRSIE
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 30, 2025
Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said that this initiative comes from the state of Telangana, which has done a caste census recently. “Rahul Gandhi, who conducted the Bharat Jodo Yatra, noticed the need for a caste census. We are thankful to Narendra Modi ji and the Cabinet ministers for accepting this. This is what our leader, Rahul Gandhi, dreamed about. We are happy to see his dream being fulfilled,” he said.
Samajwadi Party leader Ravidas Mehrotra said, “For long, the Samajwadi Party had been demanding caste census. Today, the government has accepted our demand. It is a victory for the country’s Dalits and backward classes.”
How BJP, NDA Leaders Reacted
Reacting to Tejashwi Yadav’s claim, LJP-RV leader and Union Minister Chirag Paswan said, “Union Minister Chirag Paswan says, “‘Jisko jo credit lena hai wo le lein’. But they are the people who were pointing fingers at us and our prime minister, saying that we will not do the caste census. The important thing is that the majority of the population in the country has this wish. My PM has given their wishes and feelings due respect.”
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar hailed the Modi government’s decision. “The decision of the Central Government to conduct caste census is welcome. Our demand for conducting caste census is old. It is a matter of great happiness that the Central Government has decided to conduct caste census. Conducting caste census will reveal the number of people of different classes, which will help in making plans for their upliftment and development. This will accelerate the development of the country. Congratulations and thanks to the Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji for the decision to conduct caste census,” said Kumar.
Union Minister Nityanand Rai said, “The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, headed by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has decided that caste count should be included in the upcoming Census. This shows that the present government is committed to the all-around development and values of the country and society. Even in the past, when 10% reservation was provided to the poor sections of the society, it was widely accepted in the society, and no social tension was created. Many thanks to the Prime Minister.”
