Centre to begin census from 2025: Report

The Central government is likely to start the census exercise in 2025 and complete it by 2026, India Today reported citing sources. The exercise to count the country’s population would take place after a delay of four years.
After the census is completed, the BJP-led government will start the delimitation exercise of Lok Sabha seats, the channel reported. HT can’t independently verify the report.
The delimitation exercise will likely be completed by 2028.
The Congress-led opposition has been demanding a caste-based census. However, the broad contours of the census exercise have not been revealed.
Next year’s census may include surveys of sub-sects within the General and SC-ST categories. It will also record the number of people belonging to general, scheduled caste and scheduled tribes categories.
Reacting to the report, Congress leader Manickam Tagore said the government’s refusal to carry out a caste-based census is a betrayal of the OBC communities.
“Modi’s refusal to conduct a #CasteCensus is a clear betrayal of OBC communities. Ignoring the voices demanding justice, he’s denying our people their due representation—all because of political arrogance. Will RSS, JDU,&TDP stand with the people or stay silent?” he wrote on X.
Also read: ‘India’s order has come’: Rahul Gandhi on caste census after survey shows rising support
Last month, while interacting with students and faculty at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress party would think of scrapping reservations when India becomes a “fair place”.
He also reiterated the need to conduct a caste census, saying that 90 per cent of the country’s population — OBCs, Dalits and Adivasis– do not have proper representation in the country.
He further said that the caste census is a simple exercise to assess the participation of lower castes, backward castes, and Dalits.