Overview

• The Indian government has officially approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in the upcoming national census, marking a significant departure from past policies.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the move as a step toward empowering marginalized communities and integrating them into the mainstream of development.
• The Congress criticized Modi's past remarks against the caste census, sharing videos where he dismissed the idea as divisive and linked to an 'urban naxal mindset.'
• The NDA coalition, led by the BJP, passed a resolution supporting the caste census, stating it aligns with the need to uplift deprived and marginalized groups.
• The decision comes ahead of key state elections in caste-sensitive regions, with states like Bihar, Telangana, and Karnataka already having conducted similar surveys.