Caste census welcome move, but timeline must: Rahul to govt

Terming caste enumeration as Congress’ “vision”, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday welcomed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s decision to conduct a caste census, while demanding a clear timeline for its completion. Rahul called the government’s decision as the “first step” toward deeper social reform.

“We welcome the decision, but we need to know how much time it will take to conclude the census,” the Congress leader told mediapersons hours after the announcement. He also credited public and political pressure for pushing the government to act on caste census, saying, “We have shown we can pressure the government.”

The Rae Bareli MP reiterated the Congress’s longstanding demand for a nationwide caste census and scrapping of the 50 per cent cap on reservations.

“We had said in Parliament that we will make the caste census happen. We had also said we would scrap the 50 per cent cap—the artificial wall that exists. Narendra Modi used to say there are just four cases. Don’t know what changed, but suddenly, after 11 years, caste census has been announced,” he said.

Rahul cited Telangana as a model for such an exercise, saying it could serve as a blueprint for the Centre.

“We fully support it, but we want a timeline. This is just the first step. There are two examples — Bihar and Telangana —and there is a vast difference between them,” he added.

Outlining the party’s broader agenda, he said: “Caste census is the first step. Our vision is to bring a new development paradigm through it. It’s not just about reservations — we are raising fundamental questions about the participation of OBCs, Dalits and Adivasis in the country.”

He also urged the BJP-led NDA government to start implementing Article 15(5), which allows for reservations in private educational institutions. “This is already a law. We want the government to begin implementing it,” he said.