New Delhi [India], April 30 (ANI): Leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Wednesday welcomed the Union Cabinet's decision to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming national census.

Addressing a press briefing on the Cabinet's decisions, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) had decided that caste enumeration would be part of the upcoming census.

Union Minister Chirag Paswan took to X to express his support for the move. 'An important decision was taken in the national interest by approving the caste-based census in the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji today. I and my party had been demanding for a long time that a caste-based census be conducted in the country, today this demand has been accepted. For this, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the popular Prime Minister of the country,' Chirag said.

'In the last few years, many misconceptions were spread between me and the Central Government regarding the caste census. Today's decision is a clear answer to all these rumours. This step of the central government will bring a big change in the direction of inclusive development of the country. Caste census will help in making policies more equitable and targeted. This will provide solid information and basis for empowering the deprived sections,' he added.

Janata Dal (United) National Working President Sanjay Kumar Jha also welcomed the move, calling it a significant step for the upliftment of deprived sections.

'On behalf of the entire JDU family, many thanks and congratulations to the respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and Home Minister Amit Shah ji for the historic decision to conduct caste census along with the upcoming census across the country. We are confident that this decision will help in making more effective plans for the welfare and upliftment of the deprived sections,' Jha said.

'In accordance with his policy of 'Development with Justice', the National President of Janata Dal United and the Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar ji has conducted the caste census in Bihar with complete transparency and has also made its results public. He clearly believes that it is necessary to have accurate data of various castes for the purpose of reducing socio-economic inequality and making accurate plans for the welfare of the targeted sections,' he added.

Jha further pointed out that caste-wise data had historically been recorded in pre-independence censuses, but was discontinued after 1951.

'History is a witness that caste-wise data was also recorded in the census conducted before independence in India but the Congress government stopped it in 1951. The unavailability of caste-wise data was becoming a big obstacle in the way of accurately identifying the socially deprived sections and making more effective plans for them. In view of the demand being made by various political parties and social groups, the UPA government decided to conduct a survey of castes in the 2011 census, but, there were so many discrepancies in those data that it was not even made public,' Jha said.

'Now the historic decision of the NDA government to conduct accurate caste census across the country has brought new hope for the deprived sections, whose pleasant results will be seen in the coming years. Earlier, the NDA government had also taken the historic decision to provide 10% reservation to the poor of the general category through constitutional amendment, which was continuously ignored by the Congress governments,' he added.

Union Minister of State Nityanand Rai also echoed the sentiments, stating that the government is committed to inclusive development.

'The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided that caste count should be included in the upcoming Census. This shows that the present government is committed to the all-round development and values of the country and society,' Rai posted on X.

Earlier, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had criticised previous Congress governments for opposing caste-based enumeration.

'Caste was not included in all the census operations conducted since independence. In 2010, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ji had assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census would be considered in the cabinet. A group of ministers was formed to consider this subject. Most political parties recommended a caste census. Despite this, the Congress government decided to conduct only a survey of caste instead of a census. That survey is known as SECC,' Vaishnaw said.

He further noted that the inclusion of caste enumeration would strengthen the country's social and economic structure.

'Under the leadership of PM Modi, the Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs has decided today that caste enumeration should be included in the forthcoming census. This demonstrates that the government is committed to the values and interests of the society and the country,' he said. (ANI)