On April 30, 2025, the Union Cabinet of India on Political Affairs, headed by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, announced a major decision concerning the census. From the next census, caste count will be included and given consideration, which is happening for the first time since India’s independence.
This revival of the socio-economic caste census holds great significance for policy-making, reservations, and community upliftment.
Read the article to learn more about the newly announced decision concerning the inclusion of caste count in the census, following the recent Pahalgam attack.
Overview
To help you quickly grasp the key highlights of this decision, here's a snapshot of the major details. This table summarises the timeline, background, and impact of including caste count in the upcoming census.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|
| Announcement Date | 30th April 2025 |
| Announced By | Union Cabinet of India on Political Affairs, led by PM Narendra Modi |
| Key Inclusion | Caste count in the next national census |
| Last Caste Census in India | 1931 (official caste data not included after that) |
| Keywords Linked | Caste census statistics, caste census UPSC, Socio-economic caste census |
| New Census Features | Digital execution, Unified caste list proposal |
Inclusion Of Caste Count
The Union Cabinet of India on Political Affairs announced and approved the inclusion of caste count in the upcoming census. This decision has been made after innumerable debates and demands made by the people, and finally, the verdict has been reached for the first time since India’s independence.
Peeking Into History
The last caste census in India was conducted in 1931, where detailed data on castes were documented. Since then, only Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) have been included in decadal censuses. The Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC), conducted separately, was considered inadequate due to flawed data reporting and unstructured caste names.
Today, there’s renewed focus on reliable caste census statistics to support targeted government schemes.
The national census has been put on hold since 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the last time caste count was included in the census was in the year 1931. Since that time, only Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) have been counted in the census, which happens in the gap of every 10 years.
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How Will It Be Implemented?
The government of India is still working on the plan to include caste count in the census; however, some major components of the plan are laid down below in brief for one’s reference:
1. List Of Castes
The Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) once reported that there are more than 46 lakh different castes in India, which contradicts the data collected in the last caste census in India of 1931, wherein only 4147 castes were recorded.
The major reason behind this huge gap is simply administrative failure, and the only way to resolve this now would be to keep the caste census statistics and categories exact and specified, and not open-ended.
According to a caste census upsc report, the government observed and reported that there are around 2650 people in the OBC communities, 1170 Scheduled Castes, and 890 Scheduled Tribes in the central list.
2. Digitisation & One Unified List
A government official also hinted that the next census might be conducted digitally for the enhanced convenience of people. Another official expressed that the Central and State OBC lists may be combined and unified into one.
Conclusion
The decision to include caste count in the upcoming census has given relief to many citizens of India, and it also represents the government’s commitment towards delivering social justice. It will surely be difficult and time-consuming to make the system of census fair and proper, but it is something that needs to be done and will be executed smoothly.
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