Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday clarified Centre’s stance on the long-pending Census and the inclusion of caste-based enumeration in the upcoming exercise.
Responding to concerns raised by several members over the delay in conducting the Census in Lok Sabha during the discussion on the Women’s Reservation Bill, Shah said the exercise, originally scheduled for 2021 had to be postponed due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
He said everyone is aware that the Census was to be held in 2021, but at that time the country was grappling with the biggest pandemic of this century. “It was not feasible to carry out such a massive exercise during that period,” he added.
He said even though the pandemic subsided, the country required time to recover from its economic and social impact, adding, when the process to initiate the Census resumed in 2024, several political parties raised demand for conducting a caste-based Census.
He informed the House that the Government undertook extensive consultations with political parties, caste groups, social organizations and state governments on the issued and after detailed discussions, it was decided in 2025 that the upcoming Census would include caste-based enumerations.
Explaining the methodology, Union Minister Shah said that while the building enumeration phase during the tenure of Congress-led UPA government, no questions were asked about caste, religion, or other personal details.
“However, during the population enumeration stage, information such as education, date of birth, and religion is collected,” he said.
“Now, a column for caste will also be included when individuals are enumerated,” the Union Home Minister said.
He emphasized that there should be no confusion regarding the process.
“I have studied the Census conducted under previous governments, including those led by the Congress, and the methodology remains consistent. The only addition now is the caste column during individual enumeration,” he added.
Union Minister Shah credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking a forward-looking decision on the issue.
“With foresight, the Prime Minister understood the importance of this matter, and the Cabinet has taken a clear decision,” he said.
Taking a swipe at opposition parties, Union Minister Shah accused some opposition leaders of attempting to create confusion among the public.
“Earlier, they (Opposition) were demanding a caste Census. Now that the government has decided to implement it, they (Opposition) are not even welcoming the move. Their objective seems to be to spread confusion,” he said.
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Reiterating the Union government’s position, Union Minister Amit Shah assured the House that the upcoming Census will be conducted with full clarity and transparency.
“There should be no confusion in the minds of the country’s 1.4 billion people. The Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided that the 2026 Census will be conducted with caste enumeration,” he said.
Slams Congress over OBC reservation, caste census
Amit Shah also launched a strong attack on the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, accusing it of historically opposing caste-based census and reservations for Other Backwards Classes (OBCs).
Shah asserted that the Congress had never genuinely supported social justice measures for backward communities. “The Congress party has historically opposed caste-based census and reservation,” he said.
He further pointed out that during its decades in power, the Congress never appointed an OBC leader as Prime Minister, adding that this changed only after Narendra Modi assumed office. Shah described this as a significant milestone in ensuring representation for backward communities.
Citing past instances, Shah said that in 1980, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had put the Mandal Commission recommendations on hold. He also referred to 1990, stating that although the Mandal Commission report was accepted during the tenure of Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister had delivered a lengthy speech in Parliament opposing OBC reservation.
Contrasting the Congress’s approach with that of the present government, Shah said, “For Congress, winning elections is the priority. But for us, representation of the people of our country and their genuine participation in governance are far more important.”
(with inputs from IANS)
