The demand for a caste-based census has intensified ahead of the 2027 Census. Telangana Minister for Transport and BC Welfare, Ponnam Prabhakar, has urged the Central Government to include a separate column for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the upcoming national census.
Speaking to the media, Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said that counting OBCs separately is essential for social justice and effective policy making. He stated that without accurate data on the OBC population, welfare schemes, reservations, and budget allocations cannot be implemented in a scientific manner.
He also pointed out that Telangana has already conducted a comprehensive socio-economic, caste, and education survey to gather backward class data, and the Centre should follow a similar model at the national level.
The last caste census in India was conducted in 1931. Since then, population figures for OBCs have been based on estimates. Proponents argue that
A separate OBC column will reveal the true population of backward classes, which is estimated to be over 50% of India’s population.
Data will help in better targeting of scholarships, employment schemes, and reservation benefits.
The Telangana government claims its recent caste survey can be a role model for the nation.
The demand for an OBC census has become a major political issue nationally, with several opposition parties and OBC organizations supporting it. The Centre has so far not confirmed whether caste enumeration beyond SCs and STs will be included in the 2027 Census.
With the 2027 Census notification process expected to begin soon, pressure is mounting on the Centre to take a decision on the OBC column. The inclusion could significantly reshape India’s social justice and reservation landscape.