Pranab to head GoM on caste in census issue

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, a known troubleshooter in the government, will head the Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted to go into the ticklish issue of inclusion of caste in census.

Other members of the panel include Mamata Banerjee, Farooq Abdullah, M Veerappa Moilyu, S Jaipal Reddy, Sharad Pawar and Kapil Sibal, government sources said.

The GoM has to take a 'political decision' on whether to include caste in the ongoing census operation, an issue which had seen differences in the government.

The GoM will have to take an expeditious decision as the second part of census was scheduled to begin in September, they said.

The government had last month decided to set up the GoM on the controversial issue after consensus eluded it at two meetings of the Union Cabinet.

Several political parties, including Samajwadi Party, RJD and JD(U), have been pressing for inclusion of caste in the census.

The issue had figured prominently in the just-concluded Budget Session of Parliament when the Prime Minister had assured the members that government would take their views into account before deciding on the matter.

Inclusion of caste in the census was last done in the country in 1931.