Congress Demands Immediate Caste Census and Educational Reservations

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) has issued a resolution demanding the swift enforcement of clause 5 of Article 15 of the Indian constitution to facilitate reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Dalits, and Adivasis in private educational institutions. The resolution emphasizes using updated caste data to bolster reservation policies.

In its meeting on Friday, the CWC deliberated extensively on the critical and overdue issue of conducting a caste census. Clause 5 of Article 15 permits the state to make special provisions 'for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes concerning their admission to educational institutions, including private.'

The demand extends to conducting the caste census without delay and avoiding bureaucratic obstacles. Congress insists on a transparent, time-bound process encompassing an immediate parliamentary debate and full budget allocation, along with a participatory approach for designing the questionnaire and data publication.

Additionally, Congress has demanded that the government employ the updated caste data to review and strengthen policies on reservation, education, employment, and targeted welfare. The resolution noted that the BJP-led government has 'conceded' to collecting caste-wise population data in the next census.

Congress asserts that this exercise should be expedited, urging political collaboration and immediate parliamentary discussion. Furthermore, it calls for the government to allocate necessary funds promptly and establish a timeline for the census stages, from questionnaire preparation to data publication. The CWC also recommends the central government adopt Telangana's caste census model.

(With inputs from agencies.)