Congress Demands Caste Census: Kharge Urges Modi for Action

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has once again called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to carry out a caste census, emphasizing the Indian National Congress's persisting appeal for such an initiative. In his recent communication, Kharge offered three targeted recommendations and sharply criticized the government for its lack of response since his previous letter in April 2023. He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of criticizing the Congress for advocating what he labeled a 'legitimate demand' aimed at ensuring social justice.

Kharge articulated that the design of the census questionnaire is of paramount importance and proposed that the Ministry of Home Affairs adopt the Telangana model for drafting the questions. Additionally, he advocated for repealing the 50 percent reservation cap for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes through a constitutional amendment. This, he noted, would align with expected outcomes from the caste census, potentially increasing quotas to accurately reflect India's demographic realities.

Furthermore, Kharge highlighted the necessity of implementing Article 15(5) of the Constitution. Introduced in 2006, this provision was intended to extend reservations to SCs, STs, and OBCs within private educational institutions. Previously, a Congress resolution underlined the importance of expedited implementation of this clause to enhance educational reservation policies, leveraging updated caste data. Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, under Modi's chairmanship, has moved to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming census.

(With inputs from agencies.)