Despite multiple opportunities over the years, a comprehensive caste census has remained elusive. The last full enumeration of caste was conducted in 1931, and the population estimates from that census have since formed the basis for determining relative shares in the reservation framework.
The central government바카라™s Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) in 2011 did collect detailed caste-related data, but the findings were never made public, fueling speculation and controversy. Meanwhile, several states took their own steps: Karnataka conducted a caste survey to assess local demographics, Uttar Pradesh undertook a similar exercise, and Bihar completed its own caste enumeration, which played a crucial role in reigniting demands for a national caste census.
These state-level efforts, though politically charged and uneven in their execution, laid the groundwork for the current national initiative바카라”one driven largely by pressure from opposition parties. Initially, the BJP-led central government rejected the idea of a caste census. However, beneath the political rhetoric lies a complex web of voter dynamics and reservation politics that makes the move far from straightforward.
Two-Phase Census Timeline
The census will commence in March-April 2026, beginning with a house-listing phase till the fourth quarter of year, and followed by population enumeration, which will begin in February 2027. Some regions바카라”such as Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand바카라”will begin earlier, on October 1, 2026.
Caste Enumeration Included
For the first time since 1931, caste will be formally enumerated in the national census. This marks a historic shift in India바카라™s approach to social data collection and equity policy.
No Umbrella OBC Category
The census will not group castes under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. Instead, it will simply list individual jatis or sub-castes based on self-identification바카라”effectively ending the debate over whether to use the central or state-level OBC lists.
The OBC Complication
Unlike the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories바카라”defined by constitutionally notified lists바카라”the OBC category lacks a single unified list. The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) maintains a central OBC list (over 2,600 communities) used for reservations in central government jobs and education. However, state lists often differ, with some states recognising many more communities. The central government has now chosen to avoid using either list, leaving the OBC category undefined for now.
What Happens Next
Even though the census will only record jatis and sub-castes (and not an OBC category per se), it's likely that states will use this data, whenever it is released, to revise or expand their OBC lists. This raises key questions about:
How the raw data will be processed and interpreted.
Whether new demands for reclassification or reservation will emerge.
The impact on OBC assertion in the social and political spheres.
How different states may react to shifts in demographic clarity.
Political Implications
The decision to include caste enumeration reflects a clear shift in the Centre바카라™s political calculus바카라”driven in large part by opposition demands. It also raises the stakes for how numerical caste strength might influence future policies, from quota revisions to power-sharing dynamics. Parties with a strong following in numerically dominant communities will find themselves at loggerheads with those who claim to represent the interests of numerically smaller castes, or groups of castes, especially within the OBC category.
Timeline Of Delimitation
Given the data collection is slated for 2026바카라“2027, it is unlikely to be published before 2029, based on past timelines (the 2011 Census data was released in 2013). While the government has stated that delimitation (redrawing of Lok Sabha constituencies) will not use this data, speculation remains, especially as the release would coincide with the general election year.
Rising Pressure For Inclusion
There is growing demand from political parties and social groups to extend caste-based reservations to the private sector, aiming to improve representation of marginalised communities in overall employment. Central government jobs make up no more than 1.5 바카라“ 2 per cent of the total workforce in India. With state government jobs and public sector undertaking jobs included, the share of government employment still remains well below 15%.
