Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has welcomed the Union Cabinet’s decision to include caste enumeration in the next census, citing it as a step towards strengthening the agenda of social justice.
“We welcome Census 2025, which will further strengthen the agenda of social justice and is a tribute to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur, and several other greats,” Sarma posted on social media.
The Union government has announced that caste enumeration will be included in the next census exercise in a “transparent” manner. This decision comes ahead of assembly elections in Bihar, where several parties, including some BJP allies, have been advocating for a caste census.
The Congress and other opposition parties have been demanding a nationwide caste census, making it a major election issue. Some states like Bihar, Telangana, and Karnataka have already conducted such surveys. The Centre has criticized the opposition for using caste surveys as a “political tool” and emphasized that the census will be conducted transparently.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that while the census comes under the Centre’s purview, some states have conducted caste enumeration in a non-transparent manner, creating doubts in society. The government’s decision aims to address these concerns and provide a comprehensive picture of the country’s social demographics.