Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have intensified their demand for a comprehensive and accurate caste census, questioning the format currently proposed by the Centre. The two senior leaders have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the existing questionnaire and introduce a revised format after wider consultations with political parties, experts and the public.
The issue came into focus after the Congress raised concerns over the use of an open-ended question for recording caste during the upcoming census. Under the proposed format, respondents would state their caste and enumerators would record the answer instead of choosing from a prescribed and verified list. Congress leaders have argued that such a method could create inconsistencies and make it difficult to obtain reliable caste-wise data.
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress president, have maintained that accurate demographic information is essential for framing effective social welfare and affirmative-action policies. They have particularly stressed the need for detailed data on Other Backward Classes (OBCs), along with other social groups.
The Congress has suggested that the Centre examine the models used in states such as Bihar and Telangana, where caste surveys have attempted to use more structured approaches to collect information. The party believes that a verified list of castes would reduce confusion and improve the quality of the data collected.
The demand is part of the Congress’s broader campaign for greater representation and what it describes as evidence-based social justice. Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly argued that caste data is necessary to understand the participation of different communities in education, employment, government institutions and economic opportunities.
The Congress has also criticised the present exercise as inadequate if it does not provide sufficiently detailed information. Party leaders have warned that inaccurate data could affect the implementation of welfare schemes and reservation policies because governments would not have a clear picture of the social and economic position of different communities.
The latest intervention by Gandhi and Kharge has once again brought caste census to the centre of India’s political debate. While the government has agreed to conduct a caste enumeration along with the population census, the Congress is now focusing on how the information should be collected and verified.
The controversy is therefore no longer limited to whether a caste census should be conducted, but has expanded to questions over its methodology, accuracy and purpose. The Congress leaders have called for broader consultation before the exercise proceeds, arguing that the final data must be credible enough to guide future policy decisions.
The Centre’s response to the Congress demand is likely to determine the next phase of the political debate. With caste representation remaining a significant issue in Indian politics, the census is expected to have implications for social welfare, political representation and affirmative-action policies in the years ahead.
