Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the 'Super Cabinet' gathered on Wednesday, drawing the participation of several top ministers. This assembly reached critical resolutions, notably the undertaking of a caste census alongside the standard national census. Following this meeting, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw elaborated in a press briefing that the upcoming census will integrate caste enumeration.
The famed Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) is dubbed the 'Super Cabinet' due to the inclusion of pivotal central ministers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presides over this committee, accompanied by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the central government has greenlit the construction of a new highway connecting Shillong to Silchar, incurring a total expenditure of ₹22,864 crores. Additionally, a relief measure for sugarcane farmers was approved, establishing a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹355 per quintal for the 2025-26 session.
A Major Step Forward on Caste Census
In addressing the media, Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed the CCPA's decision to incorporate caste enumeration in the upcoming national census—a historic move, given that previous censuses excluded this component. He noted, “Various states have conducted isolated caste surveys, but understanding the social fabric demands a cohesive approach, and the CCPA has resolved to count castes within the forthcoming census rather than through separate surveys.”
Criticism of Congress
He criticized Congress for historically opposing caste censuses. Since independence, census undertakings have sidestepped caste counts. In 2010, the late Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh assured caste census discussions in Cabinet. A ministerial group formed thereafter saw most political parties recommending caste-based surveys, yet Congress opted for a separate survey, SECC. Despite this, Congress and allies have wielded the caste census topic for political leverage.
He emphasized the stance of census under the central purview per Article 246 in the Constitution's Union List, although many states have conducted caste surveys. Some states have executed these transparently, while others adopted politically biased methods, fostering societal confusion. In ensuring our social fabric remains unaltered by political pressures, incorporating caste tally in the main census is seen as essential.
Fostering Economic and Social Strength
Vaishnaw expressed confidence that incorporating caste counts will bolster economic and social strength and facilitate unhampered national progress. On 30.04.2025, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs under PM Narendra Modi's leadership decided to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming census. This signifies the current government’s steadfast commitment to national and societal interests. Notably, when 10% reservations were extended to economically weaker sections before, it did not provoke tension within any societal group.
