'Nothing Wrong': SC Rejects Plea Challenging Centre's Decision To Hold Caste Enumeration

Last Updated:May 20, 2026, 17:08 IST

Supreme Court dismisses PIL against caste enumeration in upcoming Census, says it is a policy matter and government needs data on backward classes for welfare measures

Rejecting a petition challenging the Centre’s decision to conduct caste enumeration as part of the upcoming Census, the Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that there was “nothing wrong in the process."

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi was hearing the PIL, which argued that the government already had sufficient caste-related data and figures available, PTI reported.

‘Govt must know how many people are backward class’: SC

The SC dismissed the PIL saying that “government must know how many people are backward class, what kind of welfare measures are to be taken for them"."

“These are all policy matters, whether the Census should be caste-based or not. What is wrong with it? … the government must know as to how many people are in the backward class, what kind of welfare measures are to be taken for them. It is within the policy domain," PTI quoted the CJI saying.

News india 'Nothing Wrong': SC Rejects Plea Challenging Centre's Decision To Hold Caste Enumeration

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