On April 30, 2025, the Indian government, through the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, announced that caste enumeration will be included in the upcoming national census, expected to begin in 2025 and conclude by 2026. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized that this decision aims to ensure transparency and strengthen social and economic policies while maintaining national unity. The move has been described as historic by some political leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah, and has sparked varied reactions. While some, like the Bihar BJP unit and opposition leaders, welcomed it, others, including Congress, faced criticism for allegedly using the issue politically. The census will follow standardized protocols to ensure credible data, addressing concerns about state-level surveys. This decision responds to long-standing demands for a caste census, notably from the opposition INDIA alliance and states like Bihar, which conducted its own caste survey in 2023. For decades, ...