Caste Census 2027: Congress Demands Verified State-Wise Caste Lists, Flags Risk Of ‘Unreliable Data’

Indore, Madhya Pradesh - The Congress party's national spokesperson Ragini Nayak has criticized the Modi government for undermining the caste census process. Speaking at a press conference, Nayak demanded that the census be conducted using verified state-wise lists of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC) and general category communities.

She claimed that the Congress had been pushing for a caste census for years, and that Rahul Gandhi had pushed the government to announce the census for 2027. Nayak alleged that the government had previously denied conducting a caste census, even telling the Supreme Court that it was not feasible.

Nayak argued that the current census format could lead to confusion, as people from OBC and general categories might be able to enter their caste names freely. She pointed out that the same caste could be recorded using different names, spellings or sub-castes, resulting in unreliable data. To address this, Nayak urged the government to introduce a state-wise dropdown list of verified castes in the digital census, as such lists already exist with the central and state governments for reservation and classification purposes.

Citing the example of Telangana, where caste-wise data for around 3.55 crore people and their socio-economic status was collected and published, Nayak emphasized the importance of accurate caste data for fair representation, social justice, and policy decisions. She called for the government to consult political parties, experts, and citizens before finalizing the census questionnaire.

Nayak reiterated that the Congress would continue its fight for the rights of Dalits, Tribals, OBCs, minorities and other disadvantaged groups, demanding a transparent and accurate caste census across India.