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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has expressed strong support for the Union Cabinet’s recent decision to include caste enumeration in the upcoming 2025 population census.
He praised the move as a milestone in ensuring inclusive governance and underscored its potential to bring transformative change for India’s marginalised communities.
Data-Driven Policy and Social Justice
Taking to social media platform X, Naidu shared his views on the decision.
“The decision to include caste enumeration in Census 2025 by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs reflects Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s deep commitment to inclusive governance. This landmark step will enable more precise, data-driven policies that address the needs of the marginalised communities in our country. Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas continues to evolve from principle to practice, strengthening the foundations of social justice in India.”
The decision to include caste enumeration in Census 2025 by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs reflects Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s deep commitment to inclusive governance. This landmark step will enable more precise, data-driven policies that address the needs of…
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) April 30, 2025
The Union Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, finalized the inclusion of caste data in the national census during a meeting held on Wednesday.
Move to Ensure Transparency and Uniformity
Following the decision, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw addressed the media, explaining the rationale behind the inclusion.
He highlighted the inconsistencies and political motivations behind various state-level caste surveys.
“While some states have conducted surveys to enumerate castes, these surveys have varied in transparency and intent, with some conducted purely from a political angle, creating doubts in society. Considering all these circumstances, and to ensure that our social fabric does not come under political pressure, it has been decided that caste enumeration should be included in the main census instead of being conducted as a separate survey,” Vaishnaw said.
Historical Context and Constitutional Backing
The Minister further pointed out that caste data has been excluded from the official census since India’s independence.
He referenced an earlier promise made by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2010 to consider caste census through Cabinet discussions.
“In 2010, then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census would be considered in the Cabinet. A Group of Ministers was formed to deliberate on this subject, and most political parties recommended conducting a caste census. Despite this, the previous government opted for a survey instead of a caste census, known as the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC),” he said.
Vaishnaw also clarified that the Census falls under the Union government’s jurisdiction, as outlined in Article 246 of the Indian Constitution. It is listed as Entry 69 in the Union List of the Seventh Schedule.
(With Inputs From ANI)
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