In a landmark move, the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in the upcoming national census. The decision was announced by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw following a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on Wednesday.

This marks the first nationwide caste-based census exercise in nearly a century, with the last such effort having taken place in 1931.

Speaking at a press briefing, Vaishnaw underlined the historical reluctance of previous Congress-led governments to carry out a full-fledged caste census. “Congress governments have always opposed the caste census. In 2010, the then Prime Minister, the late Dr. Manmohan Singh, had said the matter should be considered by the Cabinet. A group of ministers was set up, and most political parties supported a caste census. Yet, the Congress decided to settle for only a survey,” Vaishnaw stated.

He accused the Congress and its INDIA bloc allies of exploiting the issue for political mileage. “Some states carried out surveys to map caste data, but while a few did it well, others did it purely for political purposes and in a non-transparent manner,” he said. “Such efforts have created confusion and distrust in society.”

Vaishnaw emphasized that the upcoming caste enumeration would be conducted transparently as part of the national census, under the Centre’s jurisdiction. “To ensure that our social fabric remains intact and free from divisive politics, caste enumeration must be carried out scientifically and uniformly through the census,” he noted.