Congress alleges RSS-BJP agenda behind Census 2027 changes

The Congress party has expressed concern regarding the government's decision to expand the pool of eligible enumerators for Census 2027. According to the Times of India, this change includes teachers from various educational institutions serving as census officers, a move that Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh argued jeopardizes the integrity of the census.

Separately, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that US State Secretary Marco Rubio will meet with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Mumbai on October 20. This follows criticism from Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Pawan Khera, who alleged that Jaishankar was summoned to Mumbai because Rubio is skipping Delhi. The opposition also criticized the Centre for failing to disclose the meeting details first.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that Jaishankar will host the UAE's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Mumbai on October 19 and 20, 2026, prior to the meeting with Rubio. On October 20, the minister is scheduled to hold talks with Rubio and attend a celebration for the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States as a Guest of Honour, according to Jaiswal.

Brief written by urgent.news from Times of India, Live Mint — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.