Bengaluru: Commenting on the decision to conduct the caste survey, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy said on Wednesday that the central government, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has taken a “historic and visionary” decision.
Kumaraswamy stated, “A historic and visionary decision under the dynamic leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, caste enumeration will now be part of the upcoming national census for the first time since 1931.”
This landmark step will ensure that India has authentic, scientific, and transparent caste data, moving away from politically motivated state-level surveys that often lacked credibility or uniformity, Kumaraswamy stated.
With this bold move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reaffirmed his commitment to inclusive governance and data-driven policymaking. This will empower welfare planning, strengthen social justice, and shape a more equitable future for all, he said.
“My heartfelt appreciation to the Prime Minister for this decisive and far-sighted action in the interest of the nation,” Kumaraswamy stated.
Former Deputy Chief Minister and BJP MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan has stated that the central government’s move to conduct a caste census along with the general census is a welcome step.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday at the BJP state office, ‘Jagannath Bhavan’ in Bengaluru, he said that although the state government did not have the authority to conduct a caste census, the ruling Congress had previously carried it out under the guise of a social and educational survey.
However, confusion prevailed over the process in Karnataka, he pointed out.
There were complaints that it was not properly conducted, that it lacked legal validity, that enumerators had not visited every household, and that the counting of castes was not done accurately, he said.
He accused the Congress government of creating confusion over the matter, leading to division within society and among various castes. To put an end to all this and to clear the air, the central government has decided to conduct the caste census in a clear, scientific, legally valid, and officially authorised manner, he said.
Ashwath Narayan emphasised that this process will be systematic and would provide a clear understanding of the conditions of all sections of society. On behalf of the BJP, he conveyed congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking this initiative.
N. Ravikumar, Chief Whip of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, stated, “For the first time since Independence, the central government is conducting a caste census. This will help in making decisions regarding the country’s educational, economic, and social conditions, and will be useful for many future policy decisions.”
Speaking to media representatives on Wednesday at the BJP state office, he said the central government’s decision on the caste census and general census has brought joy to people across the country.
He said they welcome this decision and that it will help in understanding the conditions of various castes. He added that the Karnataka unit of the BJP welcomes this move.
He noted that the central government’s decision to conduct a caste census was now being reported on television and emphasised that this falls within the constitutional authority of the central government.
He criticised that in the past, some parties had conducted caste surveys to serve their own political interests.
He further pointed out that a proper caste census had not been conducted in Karnataka earlier; instead, what was carried out was a social, economic, and educational survey, which was also not done properly. Many communities had opposed it, he said, and explained that several communities had claimed their actual numbers were underrepresented in the survey.
(IANS)
