Sachin Pilot: Govt accepted caste census due to pressure from Congress, Rahul

K N Mishra

    02/May/2025

What’s covered under the Article:

  • Sachin Pilot credits Congress and Rahul Gandhi for forcing government to agree to caste census amid earlier BJP opposition to the proposal.

  • Pilot urges the census to be conducted scientifically and transparently, citing Telangana as a model for proper implementation.

  • Congress alleges caste census announcement is a diversion tactic, demanding action on other national security concerns.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot has attributed the Centre’s recent decision on conducting a caste census to the persistent pressure mounted by Rahul Gandhi and the Indian National Congress. Speaking to the media in New Delhi, Pilot emphasized that the ruling BJP government had long opposed the idea, claiming it was divisive and not in national interest. However, he said that the momentum created by the Congress party and its leadership made it impossible for the government to continue its resistance.

Rahul Gandhi has been raising the issue of caste census for a long time, but the BJP and the government kept rejecting it. Suddenly, the government made the decision — thanks to the pressure put by Rahul ji and Congress,” said Pilot, who is a Congress General Secretary.

He stated that the development confirms a broader trend — that whenever the Congress party, under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, is resolute on a public issue, the central government is eventually compelled to concede. “The country has seen that when Congress and Rahul Gandhi decide on something, the government has to accept it,” said Pilot.

Importantly, Pilot stressed the need for the caste census to be conducted in a scientific, transparent, and detailed manner, cautioning against any superficial or politically motivated enumeration. He suggested that Telangana's approach could serve as a guiding example for national implementation, where data collection has been both methodical and inclusive.

The caste census should not be done superficially. It needs to be done scientifically and transparently like in Telangana,” he said, during an interaction with PTI Videos.

This renewed political conversation around caste-based enumeration follows the Centre's announcement on Wednesday, where it confirmed that caste-based data would be included in the upcoming population census — the first such inclusion since India’s independence.

The move has sparked sharp political reactions. The Congress party described the announcement as a "diversionary tactic", intended to shift focus away from mounting pressure on the government to respond firmly to recent national security challenges, particularly the Pahalgam terror attack. The party also labelled Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “master of giving headlines without deadlines,” criticizing the absence of a clear timeline or roadmap for the census.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has also stepped into the debate, demanding the allocation of adequate funds and a specific time frame to ensure that the caste census does not remain a mere political promise. His concerns reflect growing skepticism within opposition ranks about the BJP's actual intent behind the decision.

The caste census issue has long been a contentious subject in Indian politics. While many regional parties and social justice advocates have pushed for a detailed enumeration of caste data, arguing that it would enable better policy formulation and targeted welfare schemes, the central government — particularly under BJP rule — had consistently opposed the idea.

Until now, the only caste data regularly collected during census operations has been restricted to Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). The last comprehensive Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) was conducted in 2011, but the caste-related data from that effort was never officially released due to concerns over accuracy and political sensitivities.

With this latest move, the Centre has opened the door to a broader discourse on caste and affirmative action. The inclusion of caste data in the official population census has the potential to reshape India's socio-political landscape by providing updated and granular insights into the demographics of Other Backward Classes (OBCs), forward castes, and other social groups.

Political analysts view the Congress’ aggressive stance on the issue as part of its larger strategy to consolidate OBC and marginalized community votes, especially ahead of upcoming elections. Rahul Gandhi, during his Bharat Jodo Yatra and subsequent campaigns, had consistently highlighted the lack of reliable data on caste composition, questioning how effective reservations and welfare schemes can be implemented without knowing who they’re supposed to serve.

Pilot’s remarks have further solidified Congress’ framing of the caste census as a democratic imperative, rather than just a political agenda. “Those who used to oppose Rahul ji on this issue have gotten to know that the strength of democracy is supreme,” he added.

At the same time, the BJP’s sudden acceptance of caste enumeration is raising questions among observers about its electoral strategy. Some believe that the party is trying to neutralize the caste census demand by taking symbolic action without genuinely committing to it — a claim reinforced by the Congress’ accusation of lack of deadlines and concrete plans.

If the caste census is carried out effectively, it could pave the way for data-driven policymaking, with implications for education, employment quotas, political representation, and resource allocation. However, any such undertaking would also require rigorous planning, secure digital infrastructure, and inter-state coordination, which adds layers of complexity.

As India awaits further details from the government, including specific timelines, survey methodologies, and fund allocation, the pressure from the opposition is likely to intensify. The 2025 political discourse will now prominently feature caste census debates, public accountability, and the broader question of equity and representation in Indian democracy.

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