Why is PM Modi delaying Census that must include caste count: Congress

Jairam Ramesh. File Pic

The Congress on Monday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the "delay" in the Census and asserted that it is only through a caste count that full and meaningful social, economic, and political justice can be ensured in education and employment.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said that in the midst of its political transition and economic turmoil, Sri Lanka has just announced that its latest Population and Housing Census - last done in 2012 - will begin Monday.

"What about India? The decennial Census was due in 2021. There is still no sign of it happening," Ramesh said in a post on X.

Over 10 crore Indians are being denied benefits under the National Food Security Act, 2013 or the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana because still the 2011 Census enumeration is being used, he said.

And what about integrating questions on caste in the census, as is being demanded by Congress and all other political parties, he asked.

"Detailed enumeration of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been taking place every ten years since 1951. What is now needed is a similar detailed count of OBCs and other castes," Ramesh said.

It is only through a caste census that full and meaningful social, economic, and political justice can be ensured in education and employment, the Congress general secretary asserted.

"Why is the non-biological PM continuing to delay the Census, that will also be a caste count?" Ramesh said.

Bombastic claims on economy conceal choke points that will strangulate growth: Congress

Asserting that the last 10 years have seen "highly detrimental economic trends", the Congress on Sunday said the monsoon has receded but at least "three dark clouds" of languishing private sector investment, stagnating manufacturing and decline in real wages and productivity for labourers, still loom over the Indian economy.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said bombastic claims on the economy are being made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his drumbeaters but what these claims conceal are the choke points that will strangulate growth in the years to come if not taken seriously now, in a spirit of humility.

"The monsoon has receded. But new evidence has shown that at least three dark clouds still loom over the Indian economy," Ramesh said in a statement.

"First, after a brief surge in private sector investment during 2022-23 on the back of the COVID-19 recovery, investment has returned to an unsteady path," he said.

New project announcements by the private sector fell by 21 per cent between FY23 and FY24, he pointed out.

"This reflects a lack of investor confidence in India's consumer markets, and the uncertain investment climate generated by the Government's inconsistent policy making and Raid Raj," he said.

In this context, rather than grow their businesses, companies are using profits to reduce debt burdens, he claimed.