This would be the first such census since 1931 although state-level caste surveys have been done lately.
Pointing to certain caste-based surveys conducted by some state governments, primarily ruled by the opposition Congress, the minister said the caste surveys did not meaningfully represent or amount to cast-based enumeration.
He said that in order to maintain social harmony and conduct a comprehensive meaningful exercise as per the constitutional principles, the government has decided to make caste enumeration part of the next census exercise.
The minister did not take any questions on the modalities of the rollout of the census.
The minister while announcing the decision that is expected to have far-reaching consequences in Bihar, where the first caste-based survey was conducted when JDU leader Nitish Kumar was chief minister of the ruling Mahagathbandhan which also had the Congress and RJD as its part, said the Congress has always opposed the caste census.
