Adopt Telangana model of caste census, Congress tells Centre

Congress leader Sachin Pilot addresses a press conference, in New Delhi, on June 17, 2025. | Photo Credit: PTI

Urging the Centre to follow the Telangana model of caste enumeration and accusing it of delaying the exercise, the Congress on Tuesday (June 17, 2025) said the government’s latest announcement was aimed at “grabbing headlines, buying time and managing the narrative”.

On Monday (June 16, 2025), the Union Ministry of Home Affairs said the next Census will be conducted in 2027. It also reiterated that caste census will be part of the exercise.

Addressing a press conference here, Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot asked the government to be transparent about the caste census. He said the objective cannot just be to collect data on an individual’s caste but to understand the socio-economic conditions of families, and create policies to substantially improve their livelihoods. “Without tangible data on caste, no State or Central government can implement targeted interventions, which is what we [the Congress] aimed to achieve. I would urge the Modi government to follow the Telangana model and have a more consultative process,” Mr. Pilot said.

‘Funds inadequate’

He said there are doubts about the government’s intentions with regard to the caste census as the funds allocated for it was only ₹574 crore while almost ₹10,000 crore would be required for the exercise. When the Congress raised the demand for caste census, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said people who made such demands were “urban naxals”, he said.

“The demand for a caste census was led by the Congress, particularly by the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who has been raising this issue for several years. Due to the party’s continuous and forceful demand, the Modi government has yielded and announced a caste census. However, the facts and figures tell a different story,” he said at the party’s Indira Bhavan headquarters.

To underscore the point of Mr. Gandhi’s “relentless campaign” for caste census, Indian Youth Congress chief Uday Bhanu Chhib said the party will organise seminars on caste census across the country on June 19 to mark Mr. Gandhi’s birthday.

Published - June 17, 2025 09:45 pm IST