The government has decided as a matter of policy not to enumerate caste-wise population other than SCs and STs in the census, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai also said that according to the provisions of the Constitution, the seats are reserved for SCs and STs in Lok Sabha and in the assemblies in proportion, as nearly as may be, to their population.

Rai said in census, the castes and tribes which are specifically notified as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as per the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 (as amended from time to time) are enumerated.

"The state governments of Maharashtra and Odisha have requested to collect caste details in the forthcoming census. The government of India has decided as a matter of policy not to enumerate caste-wise population other than SCs and STs in census," he said replying to a written question.

Replying to another question, Rai said the intent of the government for conducting census 2021 has been notified in the Gazette of India on March 28, 2019 but due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the census activities have been postponed.