Reportedly the last time census was recorded in india was 2011. The next round was to begin in 2021, but the second wave of Covid-19 delayed it. Since then, several questions have been asked about when the data of the next census will be published. Now, highly placed sources in the Union government have confirmed that the next census data would be available in 2026. “The process of recording data will begin in 2025, and the report will be published in 2026,” a top source said. The first cycle of census will now be from 2025 to 2035 and then 2035 to 2045 and so on.
Perhaps in fact, in the existing form, where every person undertaking the survey publishes their name, details, family details etc, they have the option of filing details of religion. There is another column that identifies them as either Scheduled Tribe or scheduled caste (SC/ST). The only addition to the form will be to allow people undertaking the survey to mention their sect under their religion.
Moreover the Congress, RJD and several other parties have been demanding that a caste census be undertaken. BJP’s alliance partners such as JDU in bihar have also spoken about the same, but have not put any pressure on the Centre. At the central level, the final decision has been left to prime minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet. BJP’s other ally, telugu Desam Party, too is of the opinion that the census must happen, with andhra pradesh Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu actively advocating for ‘skill census’ for the benefit of the masses, especially the young population.
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