India's Caste System Divisive — So Why Is It Returning to the Census?

For millions of Indians, caste remains a potent force — shaping everything from education and job opportunities to social relationships and marriage. Although caste-based hierarchy was officially abolished in 1950, its impact is still being felt in everyday life in deep ways.

That’s why many were surprised when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government announced plans to include caste in India’s next national census — the first such effort since 1931, during British colonial rule.

The government also defended the move in an April release, saying that the change would "strengthen the social fabric" and aid in the promotion of economic and social progress. "Casting the census will enable development to proceed unimpeded," the release added.

Details, however, are still to be determined. Officials have yet to clarify how the caste information is to be collected or even make a release on when the census would occur, after a series of delays since the original 2021 plan.

The decision has reignited a contentious and acrid debate: Will tracking caste help raise up marginalised communities, or will it work to further calcify fault lines India has grappled to eliminate?

The decision forces India to confront stark realities and realities that are avoided for political and social expediency, said Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director, Population Foundation of India. "A census based on caste compels the state to acknowledge structural inequalities that are often swept under the carpet for political and social convenience," she added.

India hasn’t collected comprehensive caste data in nearly a century. As Muttreja puts it: “We’ve been making policy decisions in the dark while claiming to pursue social justice. That’s why this upcoming census could be truly historic.”

A History Rooted in Hierarchy

India's caste system traces its origin to ancient Hindu scriptures, where individuals were assigned a specific role of birth. The system was gradually developed into a complicated hierarchy and eventually began to determine one's occupation, social status, and marital choices. Though initially tied to Hinduism, caste divisions now cut across sectarian lines with Christians, Muslims, Jains, and Buddhists in India also adhering to the caste system.

At the top of the hierarchy are the Brahmins, traditionally priests and scholars. At the bottom are the Dalits — once known as "untouchables" — who were relegated to the lowest and most degrading jobs, such as cleaning and garbage collection.

Traditionally, Dalits and other deprivations were subjected to vicious discrimination. They were systematically excluded from upper-caste homes and temples and denied even the shared drinking and eating vessels used so pervasively in so many locations — a bitter reminder of the wide social chasms that still persist in some locations even today.

Post-Independence Reforms

When India gained independence from the British in 1947, its rulers made efforts to build a more just society. The new constitution outlawed untouchability, illegalized caste-based discrimination, and enacted affirmative action policies to offer benefits to lower castes.

Official caste ranks were assigned by the government and quotas in government service and schools — up to 50% of the seats and positions in them for previously disadvantaged groups.

Eliminating caste counts from the census was also part of this larger endeavor at reducing the role of caste in public life.

The Debate Returns

The return of caste to the census, however, has put once more into the spotlight the disparity between India's ideals and its realities.

The proponents of the move argue that accurate data is needed for policymaking with substance. It is difficult to design social programs or measure progress toward equality without having a good idea of caste populations.

The opposition is concerned that the data will be exploited to advance political interests, dividing rather than unifying people.

Wherever public sentiment lies, this much is sure: including caste in the next census is a seismic shift — and could redefine the argument over equality and identity in modern India.

---