Congress Leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi Ask PM Modi To Scrap Caste Census Questionnaire, Seek Wider Consultations

New Delhi, August 25, 2026 - Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to abandon the current caste census questionnaire and instead create a new one following extensive consultations. The two leaders argue that the existing open-ended format could lead to misleading data.

In a joint letter written in Hindi on August 20, Kharge and Gandhi criticized the government's decision to use an open-ended question format for recording caste details in the census, stating it is misleading. They proposed consultations with political parties, experts, and the public before finalizing a fresh questionnaire. The Congress leaders emphasized that accurate caste data is crucial for implementing social justice policies and assessing the socio-economic status of different castes.

They highlighted the issue of regional variations in the naming and categorization of castes, which could result in fragmented data if an open-ended system is used. Kharge and Gandhi suggested using a drop-down list of castes, similar to the methods employed for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the census. They also noted that the proposed alternative could provide a more accurate picture of India's social composition and enable better policymaking.