SUPPORT FROM OPPOSITION LEADER
Caste data was last collected as part of the official census exercise in 1931, during British colonial rule that ended with Indian independence 16 years later.
Successive governments have since resisted updating the sensitive demographic data, citing administrative complexity and fears of social unrest.
A caste survey was conducted in 2011 but its results were never made public because they were purportedly inaccurate.
That survey was separate from the 2011 general census, the last time the world’s most populous nation collected demographic data.
Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has in the past opposed the idea of enumerating people by caste, arguing it would deepen social divisions.
Proponents say detailed demographic information is crucial for the targeted implementation of India’s social justice programmes, including earmarking nearly half of all university seats and government jobs for socially disadvantaged communities.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi – a strong advocate of the idea – said he “welcomed” the move.
“We see the caste census as a new paradigm of development,” Gandhi told reporters. “We are going to push this paradigm one way or the other.”
Modi himself belongs to a low caste and has in the past said he wants to improve the living standards of all irrespective of birth status, saying that for him, the four biggest “castes” were the poor, youth, women and farmers.
