Support of the opposition chief
Caste data was collected for the last time as part of the official census exercise in 1931, during the British colonial domination which ended with Indian independence 16 years later.
Successive governments have since resisted the update of sensitive demographic data, citing administrative complexity and fears of social disorders.
A caste survey was carried out in 2011, but its results were never made public because they were allegedly inaccurate.
This survey was distinct from the 2011 general census, the last time the most populous nation in the world has collected demographic data.
The Hindu Nationalist Party of Modi, the Bharatiya Janata party, has opposed the idea of enumerating people by the caste, arguing that it would deepen social divisions.
Supporters say that detailed demographic information is crucial For the targeted implementation of India's social justice programs, including the implementation of almost half of all university seats and government jobs for socially disadvantaged communities.
The head of the opposition Rahul Gandhi – an ardent defender of the idea – said that he had “welcomed” this decision.
“We consider caste census as a new development paradigm,” Gandhi told journalists. “We are going to push this paradigm in one way or another.”
Modi himself belongs to a low caste and said in the past that he wanted to improve the standard of living of all the birth status, saying that for him, the four largest “castes” were the poor, young people, women and farmers.
