Rahul, Kharge write to PM Modi over caste census NEW DELHI: Congress high-command Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday urged the PM Modi-led government to change the way caste information is being collected in the census, warning that the current method could result in inaccurate data.The grand old party leaders also called for withdrawal of existing questionnaire, terming those “misleading”.Kharge, Rahul requested PM Modi-led government to opt for a different way to detail on caste.In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two leaders said accurate caste data was necessary for implementing social justice policies. “The policies of social justice in India cannot be properly implemented without accurate data,” they said.Kharge and Rahul objected to the use of an “open-ended question” to record caste details. Under the system, people can provide the name of their caste, which is then recorded in that form.The Congress leaders said the same caste may be known by different names, sub-castes or local names in different parts of India. If these different names are recorded separately, “a single caste could end up being divided into thousands of names,” they said.They warned that this could lead to a very large number of caste categories and make the data generated by the caste census difficult to use.“If the correct number of members of a community is not recorded, its situation will also be assessed incorrectly,” the two leaders said. They argued that inaccurate data could affect backward, extremely backward and other disadvantaged communities.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesAccording to Rahul and Kharge, the impact could extend to government decisions on education, employment, welfare schemes and social justice.They also raised concerns over the lack of clarity about the size of country’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) population. “We would not even know how large the OBC population is in India,” they said, pointing out that the term “backward class” is not included in the census process.Another Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also targeted BJP-led Centre over census. Ramesh said, “Government’s current efforts towards a caste census are just whitewash”.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorAbhishek MishraAbhishek Mishra is a Digital Content Producer at The Times of India, working with the news desk. He writes with a keen eye on foreign policy, defence developments, and the shifting currents of geopolitics-and yes, Indian politics always finds a way onto his radar too.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’People Were Shot In The Head’: Sonam Wangchuk Seeks Inquiry Report Into 2025 Ladakh ViolenceAjeet Bharti EXCLUSIVE On ‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’, Harsh Dubey, CJP & His Criticism Of BJPTMC’s Abhishek Banerjee Moves Supreme Court Over Delay In Disqualification Of 20 Rebel TMC MPsTrump Pushes $103,265 H-1B Fee; 71% Indian Professionals Brace For Major Immigration BlowJaishankar Meets Putin In Moscow, India-Russia Trade Soars As Both Sides Target $100 Billion By 2030Fresh Kashmiri Pandit Threat: Hit List Reveals Addresses, Phone Numbers, Vehicle Details OnlineDelhi-NCR Rain Fury: Gurugram Under Orange Alert, Work From Home Advisory Issued For August 25’Ram-Ram Inside, Fish Feast Outside’: Yogi Adityanath Slams Cong Over Ayodhya Event; Ajay Rai ReactsDisplaced By Ken-Betwa Project, Tribals Now Struggle For Basic Amenities | ExclusiveIn Leaked Audio, Lawrence Bishnoi’s Aide Goldy Brar Claims He Killed Hardeep Nijjar In Canada123Photostories‘They don’t love you, they love your name’:Asim Riaz takes explosive dig at ex Himanshi Khurana, calls her a ‘fame digger’First egg, now chicken? 7 things to know about the Salmonella outbreak in the UKHow to remove coconut flesh from the shell easily: 5 simple tricks without wasting the coconutFrom flamingos to puffins: 5 birds whose beaks look hand-painted by an artistMaria Sharapova to Naomi Osaka: 5 athletes who are serving major fashion moments off the courtSreeleela’s fish-cut saree just gave traditional draping a seriously savage upgrade10 beautiful baby girl names that capture a sense of wonderOptical Illusion personality test: What you spot first reveals the weak spot in your love lifePriyanka Chopra’s architectural black gown just proved that red-carpet glam needs a little more attitude10 of the world’s most colourful birds to see in the wild123Hot PicksGurgaon schoolAAP councillorsNew Zealand social media banTrump tariffICSI CS june resultNEET UG 2026Sridhar VembuTrump’s SpaceXNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingBandra Parsi BungalowSuresh GowdaRupali ChakankarKarnataka Food Licence SuspensionAllahabad High CourtMumbai Airport DemolitionRam RahimDelhi Women AccidentDelhi Gurgaon RainMaharashtra Hill Tragedy
NEW DELHI: Congress high-command Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday urged the PM Modi-led government to change the way caste information is being collected in the census, warning that the current method could result in inaccurate data.The grand old party leaders also called for withdrawal of existing questionnaire, terming those “misleading”.Kharge, Rahul requested PM Modi-led government to opt for a different way to detail on caste.In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two leaders said accurate caste data was necessary for implementing social justice policies. “The policies of social justice in India cannot be properly implemented without accurate data,” they said.Kharge and Rahul objected to the use of an “open-ended question” to record caste details. Under the system, people can provide the name of their caste, which is then recorded in that form.The Congress leaders said the same caste may be known by different names, sub-castes or local names in different parts of India. If these different names are recorded separately, “a single caste could end up being divided into thousands of names,” they said.They warned that this could lead to a very large number of caste categories and make the data generated by the caste census difficult to use.“If the correct number of members of a community is not recorded, its situation will also be assessed incorrectly,” the two leaders said. They argued that inaccurate data could affect backward, extremely backward and other disadvantaged communities.
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According to Rahul and Kharge, the impact could extend to government decisions on education, employment, welfare schemes and social justice.They also raised concerns over the lack of clarity about the size of country’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) population. “We would not even know how large the OBC population is in India,” they said, pointing out that the term “backward class” is not included in the census process.Another Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also targeted BJP-led Centre over census. Ramesh said, “Government’s current efforts towards a caste census are just whitewash”.
