On April 30, 2025, the Modi government announced a historic decision to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming Census, a move that promises to reshape India’s socio-economic landscape. This decision, taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reflects a commitment to transparent, inclusive governance and the strengthening of India’s social fabric. The inclusion of caste in the Census is not merely a statistical exercise but a transformative step toward equitable development, ensuring that marginalised communities are accounted for in policy-making and resource allocation.

Since India’s independence, caste has been conspicuously absent from Census operations. While the Census has meticulously recorded data on religion, language, and other demographic markers, caste—a critical determinant of social and economic disparities—has been overlooked. Successive Congress governments have historically opposed the inclusion of caste in the Census, citing concerns over social cohesion or administrative feasibility. However, this stance has often been perceived as a reluctance to address the deep-rooted inequalities perpetuated by caste.

In 2010, then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh assured the........

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