General U.S. NewsJul 7, 2026·2 min read

Caste Census: The methodology, challenges, and the road ahead | Explained

The Hindu – National

2h ago

Caste Census: The methodology, challenges, and the road ahead | Explained

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Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription Census enumnerators seen during door-to-door survey of digital mapping for Census at Jahangir Puri area, in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma The story so far: The rehearsal or the “pre-test” of the second phase of Census , which started in 16 States and Union Territories on July 6, 2026, has an “open column” for respondents to record their castes, several officials involved in the exercise told The Hindu . The pre-test is on till July 20, 2026 and the outcome will decide how independent India enumerates caste for the first time as part of the Census exercise. Other than Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), caste-wise population has not been enumerated in Independent India, the last time such data was collected was in 1931. Before this, the Opposition parties particularly Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had consistently demanded that caste of all people should be counted in India. The results of the 2011 SECC were neither released by the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government nor by the BJP government after the latter came to power in 2014. In 2021, the Union government informed the Supreme Court in an affidavit, “Assuming that some castes may bifurcate into sub-castes, the total number cannot be exponentially high to this extent,” adding that the data cannot be relied on for reservation in education, employment or elections to local authorities. The next exercise — Population Census 2021 was initially delayed owing to the COVID pandemic that surfaced in India around March 2020, coinciding with the first phase enumeration or the HLO phase that was to begin from April 1, 2020.

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After decades of debate, caste will be counted as part of the 2027 Census. From the ongoing pre-test and questionnaire design to past anomalies and the road ahead, here’s what you need to know

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India renews US lobbying contract with Trump aide Jason Miller’s firm

The Indian government has extended its lobbying contract in the United States with SHW Partners LLC, led by President Donald Trump’s close aide Jason Miller, for another year, according to filings under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The renewed contract, signed by the Indian Embassy in Washington, involves a monthly payout of $150,000 (Rs 1.43 crore) and will run until April 23, 2027. The scope of work includes “strategic counsel, tactical planning, and government relations assistance on policy matters before the US government, the US Congress, state governments, academic institutions, think tanks, and other relevant stakeholders,” as per the documents. As Trump took office early last year, the Indian Embassy in Washington hired two major lobbying firms, helmed by those considered part of the President’s inner circle. As per the American Embassy, Miller was here as a private citizen to meet his friend Sergio Gor. “Miller is visiting India as a private citizen to join the America 250 celebration and to visit his longtime friend, Ambassador Gor,” a US Embassy spokesperson said in response to a query by The Indian Express . It is believed that Miller has leveraged his longstanding ties with Trump to set up meetings and facilitate policy discussions on behalf of Indian diplomats. In September last year, against the backdrop of tensions in ties between India and the US over Washington’s policy on trade and tariffs, Miller met the US President and a few officials of his administration. Along with Ambassador Gor, who has a direct line to President Trump, Miller is considered India’s person in Washington, D.C. as his longstanding association with Trump could shape how effectively he navigates Washington’s power corridors for India. Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express.

Court not political forum: SC rejects DMK plea against Vijay in Karur stampede row

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Caste Census: The methodology, challenges, and the road ahead | Explained

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