Cabinet will decide on caste-based census: PM
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COMMENTS 
The decision to include caste as a parameter in Census 2011 will be taken only after due discussion in Cabinet, says Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has not taken a decision on caste-based census, as has been reported. The matter is expected to be deliberated in Cabinet. “I made a statement in Parliament in which I said that we shall take into account the views expressed in Parliament by various sections of opinion, and that I will ask Cabinet to consider that,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on May 24, 2010.
“That process is on,” Singh added replying to a question on the issue during a press conference marking the first anniversary of his government’s term in office. “Discussion on the issue will take place in the Cabinet, and whatever decision is taken it will be brought before the people,” he said.
Political parties, including the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Janata Dal-United have demanded that caste be included in the census exercise. The Bharatiya Janata Party has also supported the demand.
Though the census commissioner and registrar general of India had not included caste as a parameter in the latest demographic exercise, launched on April 1, 2010, regional OBC (other backward classes) satraps like the RJD’s Lalu Prasad and SP’s Mulayam Singh Yadav have demanded a caste count as well.
The government, which initially fielded Home Minister P Chidambaram to argue against inclusion of caste by citing the practical difficulties in authenticating caste claims communicated to enumerators, finally gave in to the pressure.
Moments after Chidambaram spoke of pragmatic difficulties in confirming an individual’s caste, the prime minister rose to assure Parliament that inclusion of caste as a census parameter would be debated by Cabinet.
Government sources say the prime minister will give in to the demand for caste-based enumeration as a section of Congress and Mandalite friends of the ruling alliance can be expected to pile up pressure on the government.
Source: The Hindustan Times, May 25, 2010
The Economic Times, May 25, 2010