Clear picture will emerge, 50% reservation limit may be raised: Sharad Pawar renews call for caste census

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) Supremo Sharad Pawar on Thursday supported Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's call for a caste census, saying his party has been advocating for it for three years. Pawar asserted that the exercise will bring out important facts and possibly increase the limit of reservation, which is currently capped at 50 per cent.

"Let me state my party's position. We have been demanding the caste census for 3 years. The facts will come before the country. It will be necessary to increase the limit of reservation which is 50 percent today. A clear picture will emerge," he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly endorse a caste census and address representation issues faced by marginalised communities in India. He added that he is "committed" to dismantling the 50 per cent reservation cap to ensure social justice.


Speaking at a meeting on the caste census in Hyderabad on Tuesday, Gandhi questioned the Prime Minister's silence on the need for data regarding Dalits and OBCs (Other Backward Classes) in sectors such as business and the judiciary.

Notably, the caste census is being conducted for the first time in Telangana.

On November 4, Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar shared details about the ongoing caste survey, saying, "This is the first time a caste survey is being conducted in Telangana. Each enumerator has been assigned to survey 150 households, and decisions will be made based on the findings to benefit these households."

In October, Prabhakar announced that a comprehensive caste survey would take place in Telangana from November 6 to November 30.

"A detailed caste survey will be conducted in Telangana from November 6 to November 30. We promised this during elections, and now we are fulfilling it," Prabhakar stated.

The Congress party and the INDIA bloc has consistently advocated for a nationwide caste census, calling it a "progressive and significant step."