The Congress on Thursday suggested that the government can collect caste-wise data of the OBC population in the next Census by just adding an extra column as every such exercise since 1951 has been collecting data on the population of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

The opposition party said such a move will give more solid foundation to affirmative action programmes.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a report in The Hindu which said the Union government is yet to take a call on conducting the next Census exercise but active discussion is on to expand the data collection to include caste enumeration.

"India has been conducting a Census regularly every ten years. The last such Census was due in 2021. The continuing failure to conduct this 2021 Census has meant that vital information necessary for economic planning and for social justice programmes has not been collected," Ramesh said on X.

As a result, for instance, over 12 crore Indians have been denied due benefits under the National Food Security Act, 2013 or PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, he said.

Now there are reports that the Union Government may conduct this long overdue and unacceptably delayed Census over the next few months, he said.

"Every Census since 1951 has been collecting data caste-wise on the population of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Without any difficulty, just by adding an extra column, the Census questionnaire can also collect caste-wise data of the OBC population as well," he said.

This will fulfil the widespread demand for a caste census and will give more solid foundations to affirmative action programmes, he said.

"Census" is entry number 69 in the Union List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, which means that it is the responsibility of the Union Government alone to conduct a Census, Ramesh asserted.

The Congress has been demanding a caste census along with the routine Census, saying it will pave the way for providing justice to SCs, STs and OBCs.

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