India will include details of caste in its next census, a move that could have socio-economic and political implications for the world's most populous country.
Information Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw did not disclose when the census would begin, when he announced that it would include caste information on Wednesday. He said the decision demonstrates New Delhi’s commitment to “the values and interests of society and the country”.
This count may result in demands for the increase of the country's quota to retain government jobs, university admissions and elected positions in certain categories of castes, especially for lower and intermediate castes recognized as other backward classes. India's current policy cap is 50%, with 27% of which are reserved for OBC.
Caste is an ancient social hierarchy in India and is crucial to India's life and politics. Based on India’s occupational and economic status, especially among Hindus, there are hundreds of caste groups, but the country has limited or outdated data on how many people belong to them.
The successive Indian government has refused to update caste data, believing that this could lead to social unrest. But its supporters say detailed demographic information is necessary for the proper implementation of many of India’s social justice plans.
The colonial ruler, Britain, began a census of India in 1872 and calculated all castes as 1931. However, since 1951, independent India has only counted the Dalits and adivasis, which are called pre-determined castes and tribes, respectively. Others' castes are marked as average.
The next decade's population survey initially expired in 2021, but was primarily delayed by the 19-year-old pandemic and logistical obstacles.
India recorded its caste for the first time in 80 years in 2011, but the data was not disclosed due to concerns about its accuracy.
Some states are under investigation
The news came months before the important elections held in India’s poorest Bihar, and caste was a key issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata party hosted a coalition government in Bihar.
Opposition and Modi's partners urged the government to count castes in the new census. Modi's Indian Nationalist Party has opposed the idea of calculating people through caste, saying it will deepen social divisions in the country.
“It's clear that the pressure we put on the government of the caste census has worked,” Rahul Gandhi, the opposition leader of the Congress party, wrote on X.
Two states in northern India’s Bihar and southern Karnataka have published caste surveys, both showing higher numbers of backward castes and prompting demands for higher quotas.
Similar investigations are also planned in two southern states Andhra Pradesh and Tlanganana states.
Vaishnaw said details including caste would increase transparency in the national census, while adding that some states ruled by opposition parties have conducted their own caste investigations for political gain.
The fate of many political parties, including Modi's BJP, depends on caste alliances, especially caste alliances in the OBC category.
On Wednesday, India's powerful Home Secretary Amit Shah called the move “historic” and said “will empower the backward parts economically and socially”.
