Centre okays caste census

Government slams Opposition for using it as 'political tool'

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

In a surprise shift in policy, the Centre has announced the inclusion of caste enumeration in the long awaited nationwide census amid growing demands for social justice and representation.

With the latest move, the ruling alliance hopes to blunt a key plank of the Opposition, especially in poll-bound Bihar, where caste dynamics play a pivotal role. Opposition parties, particularly the Congress and RJD, hailed the announcement as a victory for their decades-long demand, asserting that the government was compelled to concede under public pressure. With caste census emerging as a major electoral issue, the Centre’s move is likely to reshape political narratives in Bihar and beyond