Caste-based census issue to be decided by GoM

New Delhi, May 26 (PTI) Moving cautiously, the Indian
government on Wednesday decided to set up a Group of Ministers
(GoM) to take a view on the politically-sensitive question of
including caste in the census.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh, again saw divergent views being expressed, with some
ministers favouring it while some others expressing
reservations, sources said.
Those who spoke on the issue at the meeting included
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P
Chidambaram, Law Minister Veerappa Moily, HRD Minister Kapil
Sibal, Sports Minister M S Gill, Commerce Minister Anand
Sharma, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Social Justice
Minister Mukul Wasnik.
Sibal and Gill expressed reservations on including
castes in census as the exercise has already begun, the
sources said.
Moily, who has been vocal votary for inclusion of castes
in census, said castes could easily be included in round two
and three of the exercise when the work on National Population
Register begins.
Wasnik is also believed to have favoured inclusion of
caste in the census.
Sharma, who had spoken against inclusion of castes in
census, Wednesday presented a balanced view on the sensitive
subject.
The Cabinet then decided that a GoM should take a view
on the issue, the sources said. The GoM is likely to be headed
by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Sources said the GoM would also finalise the modalities
involved if castes are to be included in census.
While no time-frame has been set, the general feeling
among the ministers was that the GoM should come out with a
decision early.
The Cabinet, which first discussed the issue at length
on May 4, has been divided on it.
The Home Ministry is understood to have opined that the
present exercise of enumeration should go on and caste could
be included later at the time of taking biometric samples.
Several political parties, including Samajwadi Party,
Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal-United, have been pressing
for caste-based census but the government is moving cautiously
on the politically-sensitive matter. PTI NAB