Calls for Caste Census Gain Momentum in Parliamentary Discussions

The demand for a caste census has gained traction in the Parliament's Committee on Welfare of Other Backward Classes. Various members of Parliament have voiced support for listing it as a discussion subject, with BJP ally JD(U) and other opposition parties pushing for immediate deliberation.

Demand for a caste census grew louder on Thursday as JD(U), an ally of the ruling BJP, joined the opposition's call for it to be a discussion topic in the Parliament's Committee on Welfare of Other Backward Classes.

The issue, initially raised by DMK member TR Baalu, found support from multiple members, including Congress's Manickam Tagore and TMC's Kalyan Banerjee, during the committee's first meeting chaired by BJP's Ganesh Singh.

Sources say JD(U)'s Girdhari Yadav and others sought to list the 'caste census' as a priority subject for the committee's deliberations. Banerjee also suggested writing to the Union Home Ministry about conducting such a census. A BJP member highlighted that reservations should extend to contract and temporary recruitment as well. JD(U), part of the ruling NDA, has been vocal about the census, with Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordering a similar survey last year.