Union Cabinet’s Big Decision: Caste Census To Be Included In Population Survey

The caste census will be a part of the next national census exercise, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced, saying a decision to this effect was taken at the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs meeting. "Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has decided to include caste enumeration in forthcoming census exercise," the Union Minister said in a media briefing on Wednesday. While announcing the big Cabinet decision, Vaishnaw trained guns on the Congress, saying the party always opposed the caste census. He also attacked other INDIA bloc parties, accusing them of using the caste-based population count only to gain political mileage. "Congress governments have always opposed the caste census. In 2010, the late Dr Manmohan Singh said that the matter of caste census should be considered in the Cabinet. A group of ministers was formed to consider this subject. Most of the political parties have recommended a caste census. Despite this, the Congress government decided to conduct a survey of caste or a caste census," Vaishnaw said.