NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — Less than a year after the 2024 Lok Sabha election results delivered a jolt to the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has approved the inclusion of caste data in the upcoming national census — a move the BJP-RSS ecosystem once resisted.
The decision, announced after a Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Modi, signals a significant shift in political strategy as the government attempts to regain lost ground, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. There, the BJP suffered setbacks against a resurgent Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance, while only narrowly holding on in Bihar.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed Wednesday that caste enumeration will be part of the delayed population survey. “This will be done in a transparent manner to ensure that society is economically and socially empowered,” he said following a Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs meeting.
The once-in-a-decade census, originally scheduled for 2021, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and logistical delays. No new date has been announced, but the inclusion of caste data marks a significant policy pivot.
While the timing may appear sudden — coming just hours after a closed-door meeting between Modi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat — sources close to the matter say the shift has been building for months.
The RSS, ideological parent to the BJP, began reevaluating its long-standing opposition to caste-based data collection after the 2024 election results and mounting criticism from backward caste and Dalit groups. In September 2024, RSS leader Sunil Ambekar endorsed the idea at a key meeting in Palakkad, Kerala, calling the caste census “vital for national unity and targeted welfare.”
“Some castes require special attention. A caste census is necessary for public welfare—but it must not become a political weapon,” Ambekar said, marking a stark departure from earlier remarks by RSS figure Shridhar Gadge, who had called such a move divisive in December 2023.
According to political insiders, the RSS conducted several internal consultations across states over the past year. These meetings revealed strong public support for the caste census, prompting the Sangh to realign its stance and present the move as a tool for social harmony rather than division.
The Modi government’s green light is widely seen as a tactical move to neutralize a key issue championed by opposition parties. Caste-based parties and regional coalitions have long demanded updated data to strengthen their case for targeted welfare policies and quota expansions.
India last collected caste data in 2011 as part of the Socio-Economic and Caste Census, but the results were never officially released due to concerns over data quality. The absence of reliable, updated caste information has left policymakers, courts, and advocacy groups operating with outdated figures.
In 2022, the Bihar state government, led by a JD(U)-RJD coalition, conducted its caste census, intensifying calls for a national exercise. More recently, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have announced plans for similar surveys.
The timing of the central government’s announcement is also politically calculated. Elections are looming in Bihar, where caste dynamics strongly influence voter behavior. Analysts say the BJP hopes to broaden its appeal among backward caste communities by aligning with their long-standing demand.
While critics argue the move is politically expedient, supporters frame it as long overdue. “You can’t make equitable policy without understanding who needs what,” said a senior official familiar with the Cabinet deliberations. “This isn’t about politics; it’s about data-driven governance.”
Still, the decision may rekindle old debates around reservation policies, affirmative action, and the role of caste in public life. Government institutions in India already implement quotas for various groups in education and employment, but those policies are based on decades-old assumptions.
