India Approves Caste Count Along With Long-Delayed Census
Pedestrians at Zaveri Bazaar in Mumbai, India.
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India on Wednesday said it approved a plan to include caste data in the upcoming population census, indicating it is a step closer to an exercise that has been delayed for almost four years.
The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has decided that “caste enumeration should be included in the forthcoming census,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters in a briefing. “This demonstrates that our government is committed to the values and interests of the society and country,” he said, without elaborating on when the census will be conducted.