Caste Politics

Bihar election 2025: How caste coalitions will drive strategies and outcome

With new caste survey data in hand, parties are recalibrating alliances, seat-sharing, and candidate choices, as traditional blocs like Yadavs, Kurmis, and EBCs remain pivotal

Karnataka caste census begins today, minor delay possible in Bengaluru

Social and Educational Survey, popularly known as the 'caste census' in Karnataka, is to begin on Monday, though the exercise may be delayed by a day or two in Greater Bengaluru area in order to impart training and ensure necesary preparations. The survey by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes that will go on till October 7, will see as many as 1.75 lakh enumerators, mostly government school teachers, covering around 7 crore people in approximately 2 crore households across the state. The survey, at an estimated cost of Rs 420 crore, will be conducted "scientifically," with a 60-question questionnaire prepared for the exercise, according to officials. Meanwhile, amid criticism and objections from various sections, including within the ruling Congress, regarding the castes list prepared for the survey, containing a number of castes with dual identities -- having both Christian and Hindu caste names -- like 'Kuruba Christian', 'Brahmin Christian', 'Vokkaliga Christian'

Caste system is outdated, irrelevant, needs to go: RSS chief Bhagwat

Bhagwat also spoke about alleged religious conversions and illegal migration as key reasons behind a growing demographic imbalance

Revanth Reddy unveils Telangana caste survey, urges national OBC quota push

Following the survey, the Telangana government passed two reservation bills, one for education and employment and another for political representation, allocating 42 per cent reservation for OBCs

Will demand for removal of 50% cap on quota during Monsoon session: Cong

The Congress on Friday reiterated its demand of making the Bihar reservations law a part of the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, amending the Constitution to overcome the 50 per cent ceiling for reservations and implementing Article 15(5) which enables reservations for SCs, STs, OBCs, and EBCs in private educational institutions. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said most definitely the party will take up these three issues of fundamental importance to social justice and empowerment in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament. "The PM is in Bihar today. On the basis of the caste survey conducted by the erstwhile INDIA bloc Government in Bihar, the Bihar Government had proposed 65% reservation for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs, and EBCs. This is under challenge in the Courts," Ramesh said on X. The double engine government in Bihar has all but given up, he said. But there are three ways out that the Congress has been demanding for lon

Datanomics: Census announcement rekindles debate around role of caste

Despite forming the largest caste group, OBCs remain underrepresented in central government jobs

Delimitation concerns will be discussed at an appropriate time: MHA

The Ministry of Home Affairs said that southern states' concerns over a population-based delimitation will be addressed at the right time as Census-2027 preparations commence

Kharge writes to Modi, demands all-party meet before caste census

In his letter to the PM, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge calls for an all-party meeting, suggests Telangana model for caste survey and asks for constitutional safeguards for state quotas

Caste census: A fraught & electorally-loaded idea forcing its way in

One of the reasons we call the caste census a bad idea is that so far, nobody has figured what to do with the data, except Rahul Gandhi

When Congress, Rahul decide, govt has to accept it: Pilot on caste census

Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday claimed that the government's caste census decision was the result of the pressure exerted by Rahul Gandhi and said the country has seen that when the party and the Leader of the Opposition resolve to get something done, the Centre has to accept it. Pilot also said the caste census should be done in a scientific, detailed and transparent manner as has been done in Telangana. The caste census should not be done superficially, Pilot told PTI Videos here. "Rahul Gandhi has been raising this (caste census) issue for a long time, but the BJP and the government kept opposing it, saying it is not in the interest of the country and it would divide the country. Suddenly, the government took the decision, thanks to the pressure exerted by Rahul Gandhi and the Congress," the Congress general secretary said. The entire country has witnessed that whenever the Congress and Rahul Gandhi resolve to get something done, the government has to accept it, Pilot

Explained: What is caste census, when was it last held and why is it back?

The NDA government gave the green light to conducting the Opposition's long-standing demand of caste census in the upcoming national Census. Here's a look at its history and possible implications

Govt using caste census to deflect attention from Pahalgam attack: AAP MP

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh said the caste enumeration in the forthcoming census was announced by the government to deflect attention from the Pahalgam terror attack. Singh told reporters at the residence of AAP national spokesperson Sarvesh Mishra in Panditpura village on Wednesday that the Aam Aadmi Party supports the caste census but the BJP government will forget about it after the Bihar elections. Questioning the government's intent behind the caste census decision, the AAP leader compared it to the Women's Reservation Bill, saying "nothing has been done to implement it". "Similarly, you've announced the caste census, but there is no budget allocation, no timeline. Once Bihar elections are over, you will forget about it," Singh said. "The entire nation was waiting to see how the government would act to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and eliminate terrorists. Instead, 26 unarmed and innocent tourists were killed. Terrorists challenged us on our own soil, and

Caste census report recommends 51% quota for backward classes in Karnataka

The caste census report, submitted to the Karnataka cabinet, has recommended enhancing the reservation for Backward Communities from the existing 32 per cent to 51 per cent. According to government sources, the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey, caste census in short, also highlighted that the population of BC is 70 per cent. The report also suggested that 51 per cent reservation should be given to the BCs in educational institutions in the state. It cited the example of Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand, which are providing 69 and 77 per cent reservations respectively as per the backward class population, the sources said. As per the survey report, the population of Backward Communities in 1A category is 34,96,638, 1B- 73,92,313, 2A- 77,78,209, 2B- 75,25,880, 3A-- 72,99,577 and the Backward Community in the 3B category is 1,54,37,113, sources claimed. This way the total population of Other Backward Castes is 4,16,30,153. The sources, citing the report, claimed that the Scheduled Cast

Denial of housing over caste or religion 'disheartening': Maharashtra Guv

Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan has said it is "disheartening" to hear people are sometimes denied a house because of their caste or religion, and asserted this discrimination must end. Speaking at the 'Lokmat World Peace and Harmony Through Interfaith Dialogue' on Tuesday, the governor said the concept of interfaith dialogue is not new and it can bridge divides and dismantle prejudices. Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Maharashtra minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, and Vijay Darda, former Rajya Sabha MP and the chairman of the Lokmat Media Group, were also present at the event. "In a multi-religious and multi-cultural society it is essential that we teach our citizens to respect all faiths. This has to begin from schools and colleges," Radhakrishnan said. Schools and colleges should be encouraged to celebrate festivals of all religions, he said, adding, "In the name of secularism, we are preventing our students from celebrating the festivals of all religions." Parents should

Rahul calls for 'caste census' after Telangana accepts 42% OBC reservation

Rahul Gandhi asserted that Telangana has shown the way, this is what the whole country needs

Caste census report to be tabled in next cabinet meeting: Karnataka CM

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Friday said a report on caste census in the state would be tabled in the next meeting of the Cabinet. The Karnataka Socio-Economic and Education Survey report, commonly known as the 'Karnataka caste census', was originally scheduled to be presented in the state cabinet meeting on January 16. "We didn't table the caste census in this cabinet meeting but we will table it in the next meeting," he told reporters here. Asked what was there in the report, he said, "I don't know what is there because it has not been tabled yet." On the Mangaluru bank heist, the chief minister said he has instructed police to find out the culprits. Caste census has emerged as a contentious issue, particularly among the state's dominant communities -- the Lingayats and Vokkaligas -- who have expressed reservations about the survey done, calling it "unscientific" and have demanded that it be rejected and a fresh survey be conducted. The survey was commissioned by the .

Caste census, removing 50% quota cap central to vision for country: Cong

The Congress on Saturday asserted that a nationwide caste survey and the lifting of the Supreme Court's "arbitrary ceiling" of 50 per cent on reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes are central to its vision for the country. Congress general secretary in-charge, communications, Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X that the party's government in Telangana will begin its caste survey on Saturday. He said 80,000 enumerators will be going door to door over the next few weeks, covering over 1.17 crore households across 33 districts. This is the first time a caste-based survey is being conducted by the government in Telangana since 1931, Ramesh said. "It is a historic, revolutionary moment -- one that is a realisation of the Telangana Movement's aspirations for the state and a fulfillment of one of the key ideals of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution," the Congress general secretary said. It is also, as Rahul Gandhi noted in Hyderabad earlier this

Mahayuti's MLC nominations reflect caste balance ahead of Maharashtra polls

Ahead of the Maharashtra assembly polls, the ruling Mahayuti appears to have maintained a balance in the representation of various communities and tried to avoid any potential rebellion while nominating seven members for the MLC posts, as per political analysts. Of the seven new members of the legislative council who took oath on Tuesday, the BJP has nominated three, while the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's NCP have two members each. On Monday, the state cabinet cleared seven out of 12 names and received approval from Governor C P Radhakrishnan. With his approval, the swearing-in ceremony was held at the Vidhan Bhavan on Tuesday, hours before the announcement of the Maharashtra assembly elections. The newly sworn in MLCs are BJP's Chitra Wagh, Vikrant Patil and spiritual leader of Banjara community Dharmaguru Babusingh Maharaj Rathod, NCP leaders Pankaj Bhujbal and Idris Naikwadi and Shiv Sena's Manisha Kayande and Hemant Patil. Rathod is a seer

Course on caste census to be decided by next week, says Karnataka minister

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said that the Socio-Economic and Education Survey report, also known as the "caste census", will either be referred to a Cabinet subcommittee or introduced in the legislature, based on what the Cabinet decides next week. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said the caste census will "most likely" be placed before the Cabinet for discussion on October 18. "We were accused of keeping the caste census in the cold storage after spending so much money. Now when we are saying that we will make it public, they are not able to take it," Parameshwara, a senior leader from the SC community, said, hitting back at the opposition over its criticism. Speaking to reporters here, he said everyone in the state knows that backward classes, minorities and Dalits are more in number, and in the days ahead for the government to plan and prepare programmes, the caste census will be helpful. "... shouldn't we prepare and give programmes for those ...

SC sets aside jail manual for promoting caste-based discrimination

The Supreme Court on Thursday set aside discriminatory provisions of prison manuals of some states while deprecating the practice of caste-based discrimination, distribution of work and segregation of prisoners in separate wards as per their castes. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud also issued a slew of directions to stop caste-based discrimination in jails. Caste cannot be a ground to discriminate against prisoners of marginalised classes in jails as per the state manuals, the bench said, adding such practices cannot be allowed. The prisoners shall not be permitted to undertake cleaning of sewers tanks in hazardous conditions, it said while ordering that the police will have to work in right earnest to deal with the cases of caste-based discriminations. The bench said prisoners of certain classes will have the right to get fair distribution of work in jails. Setting aside the objectionable rules, the top court ordered states to amend them within a period of three .