Congress slams census notification, seeks caste data

New Delhi

The Congress party has sharply criticized the Centre’s gazette notification on the upcoming 16th Census, calling it a “damp squib” for its silence on caste enumeration. The notification, issued on Monday, outlines the schedule for the decadal population count to be held in two phases across the country in 2026–2027.

Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh accused the government of making a U-turn on caste-based data collection. “The gazette merely reiterates what was announced on April 30. It is silent on whether caste will be included. Is this yet another reversal by the ‘ustad of U-turns’?” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Ramesh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier dismissed the demand for a caste census, labeling Congress leaders as “urban Naxals” for raising the issue. However, after public pressure and political pushback, the government had announced a caste census just 47 days ago, he pointed out.

The Congress party demanded that the Centre adopt the Telangana model, which includes comprehensive caste enumeration along with detailed socio-economic indicators to aid in equitable policy planning.

As per the notification, the reference date for the census will be March 1, 2027, for most of India. However, for snow-bound regions in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, it will be October 1, 2026. The government has not yet issued a clarification on whether caste-based data will be part of the enumeration process, prompting concerns and criticism from the Opposition and social justice advocates alike.