The Union Cabinet has sanctioned the inclusion of caste-based data collection in the upcoming national census. This decision was made during a Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs meeting, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired on Wednesday. During a Cabinet briefing, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed that caste data would be collected in a “transparent and structured manner” as part of the upcoming decennial census. He emphasised the need for accuracy and transparency in the process, stating, “Caste enumerations should be transparent and included in the census for the sake of informed policymaking.”

Vaishnaw also criticised opposition parties, especially the Congress, for using the demand for a caste census as a political tool without any real intention to follow through on it. “Congress and its alliance partners have used the caste-based census only as a political tool. Their focus was never on actual data or welfare,” he expressed.

Since India gained independence, caste data has not been included in the primary census operations. In 2010, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured the Lok Sabha that the issue of adding caste to the census would be reviewed. A Group of Ministers was set up to examine the matter, and many political parties pushed for caste enumeration. However, the Congress-led government decided to conduct a separate survey called the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) instead of the inclusion of caste data in the official census, as pointed out by Vaishnaw. Some states have carried out their own caste-based surveys. While some were well-organised, others lacked clarity and were seen as politically driven, creating confusion and doubts in society. Given these concerns, the Union Government decided that caste data should be included in the upcoming national census.

In another development, the Cabinet backed the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane for the 2025-26 season, setting it at Rs 355 per quintal. This rate will come into effect on October 1, 2025, and will benefit approximately five crore sugarcane farmers nationwide. To protect farmers whose sugarcane outcomes lower sugar recovery, the government has decided that mills with a recovery rate below 9.5% will still pay at least ₹329.05 per quintal. Vaishnaw stated, “This move ensures no deduction in payment for low-recovery sugarcane.”

The Cabinet has approved a significant infrastructure project worth ₹22,864 crore to build a highway linking Shillong and Silchar. This initiative is designed to improve connectivity in the northeastern region, greatly enhancing travel and trade between Assam and Meghalaya.