India Prime | Devender Singh | India 5May 2025 The Modi government recently announced that caste-based data will be collected in the upcoming national census—something that hasn’t happened since 1931. This move marks a historic shift, as for the first time in independent India, detailed data of all castes will be systematically gathered at the central level. The census, originally scheduled for 2021, has now been pushed to begin in 2025, with completion expected in the early months of 2026. However, its final phase may extend to 2031.
The census will also see a technological upgrade and is expected to be more advanced than ever before. The estimated cost of this process is ₹12,000 crore, which is about 40% more than what was spent during the 2021 preparations. The last successful census was conducted in 2011, but the 2021 census was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other administrative issues.
Key Government Decision
In a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it was decided that the 2025 census will include caste-related data alongside demographic and economic information. This decision is seen as historic because it recognizes caste at the national level for policymaking purposes for the first time.
Census 2025 in India Start Date
The census process generally occurs in two phases:
House Listing Phase – Listing of homes (already underway).
Population Enumeration Phase – Collection of individual data (yet to begin).
A “Self Enumeration Portal” will be made available to citizens, where they can log in using their mobile number and Aadhaar card to submit their details.
The registration process will begin on the official census portal (censusindia.gov.in). The house-to-house survey is expected to take place in February-March 2025. Documents like Aadhaar card, voter ID, and birth certificate will be referenced. Approximately 3 million enumerators will be deployed across the country, including school teachers, village workers, municipal staff, Anganwadi workers, and other government employees. They will be provided with:
Tablets/Smartphones
GIS-based mapping tools
Training manuals and videos
Data entry apps
Five Key Objectives of Census 2025
Demographic Data: Analyze sex ratio, literacy rate, and population growth.
Social Schemes: Strengthen policies related to housing (PMAY), health (Ayushman Bharat), and education.
Economic Planning: Data for employment, poverty lines, and resource allocation.
Digital India: Assessment of digital access and internet penetration.
Climate Adaptation: Planning for natural disasters and water crises.
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What Will Citizens Be Asked in Census 2025?
Around 31 major questions are expected, including:
Personal Details: Name, age, gender, marital status, place of birth, and nationality.
Socio-Economic Data: Education, occupation, source of income, number of working family members.
Residential Info: Type of house (pucca/kutcha), availability of electricity, water, toilets, and internet.
Cultural Data: Religion, mother tongue, knowledge of other languages.
Others: Access to digital devices (smartphones/laptops), health insurance, benefit from govt schemes, and migrant worker data (especially post-COVID).
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Why Caste-Based Census?
The demand for a caste-based census dates back to the pre-independence era. While the 1931 census (conducted by the British) included caste data, the 1951 census (after independence) only collected data on Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST)—excluding OBCs and other castes.
Mandal Commission (1979–1980)
To justify OBC reservations, the Mandal Commission used outdated 1931 caste data, estimating OBCs to be 52% of the population. The incomplete nature of that data sparked demands for a new, updated caste census.
Courts including the Supreme Court have also urged that decisions on reservation policies must be based on concrete data.
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Snapshot of Indian Censuses
| Year | Population (Crore) | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 36.1 | First post-independence census |
| 1961 | 43.9 | Detailed data on language and religion |
| 1971 | 54.8 | Population control initiatives |
| 1981 | 68.3 | Beginning of urbanization analysis |
| 1991 | 84.6 | Social class analysis post-Mandal Commission |
| 2001 | 102.9 | Start of digital data entry |
| 2011 | 121.0 | Public data release via online platform |
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Why Did Bihar Conduct Its Own Caste Survey?
The Bihar government collected data on 215 castes using over 500,000 personnel in 2023. This move was driven by political and socio-economic motives.
Key Findings:
OBC + EBC: 63% (OBC: 27%, EBC: 36%)
SC: 19.7%
ST: 1.7%
Upper Castes: 15.5%
The data prompted demands to increase reservation quotas and make policies more targeted.
Other states like Telangana, Odisha, and Maharashtra have also started advocating for similar caste surveys.
Political & Social Implications:
Bihar has a 63% OBC/EBC population.
Leaders like Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav made this a social justice agenda.
There was national pressure after the central government resisted a caste census.
Electoral strategy: To appease OBC voters before the 2024 general elections.
“Ashwini Vaishnaw’s Digital Vision: Will india-conduct-a-caste-census?
Global History of Census and Caste/Race Data
Caste- or race-based data collection has a mixed history worldwide, often leading to social and political challenges.
First Organized Census:
Babylonia (3800–3200 BCE) for taxation and military service.
Modern System: Sweden (1749) — the world’s first ongoing census model.
UN Guidelines:
The UN Population Division (UNSD) recommends a census every 10 years, with frameworks for privacy, standard questions, and data classification.
Census Systems in Major Countries
| Country | Interval | Latest Census | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 10 years | 2011 (next: 2025) | World’s largest, going digital |
| USA | 10 years | 2020 | Ethnicity, language, jobs, residence |
| China | 10 years | 2020 | Rural-urban balance focus |
| Brazil | 10 years | 2022 | Mobile and digital methods |
| Australia | 5 years | 2021 | Mandatory participation, online forms |
| Japan | 5 years | 2020 | High-tech and privacy emphasis |
| Russia | 10 years | 2021 | Ethnic data, multi-language forms |
| Canada | 5 years | 2021 | Voluntary ethnic identification |
| South Africa | 10 years | 2022 | Tribal classification, income, and education |
| Germany | As needed | 2011 (next: 2026) | EU-regulated data collection |
Case Studies on Caste and Race Data
Malaysia
Bumiputra Policy: Prioritized Malay majority (67%) in jobs and education.
Result: Economic inclusion, but Chinese and Indian minorities protested discrimination.
France
No Caste/Race Data: Based on “Republican Equality” — all citizens are equal.
Result: NGOs faced legal issues when trying to collect ethnic data independently.
Nepal
2011 Census recorded 125 castes and 123 languages.
Issues: Claims of underreporting by the Madhesi community, political unrest, and reservation disputes.
Sri Lanka
Ethnic Divide: Sinhalese (75%) vs Tamils (15%).
Impact: Discrimination led to the Tamil insurgency (LTTE) and decades of civil war.
Final Thoughts: A Double-Edged Sword
Collecting caste or race data can be a tool for social justice, as seen in the U.S., Brazil, and South Africa, where affirmative actions were implemented. But it can also cause privacy concerns, misuse, or social division, as seen in Rwanda, Nigeria, or Nepal.
As India embarks on this historic initiative in Census 2025, it must ensure transparency, privacy protection, and clarity of purpose to make caste data a meaningful step towards inclusive development, rather than a source of division or politicization.
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