Census directly related to public welfare, must be done honestly: Mayawati

Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday said the census is directly related to the welfare of people and must be conducted honestly and on time.

In a series of posts in Hindi on X, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister targeted the BJP over its 11-year rule at the Centre, asking if it has been able to eradicate poverty and unemployment from the country.

“The national and caste census was pending since the time of the Congress... the process has now begun. The census is directly related to public welfare, and it should be completed honestly and on time in the interest of the country,” she said.

The government on Monday issued a notification for conducting India’s 16th census. It will be carried out with a reference date of October 1, 2026, in the snow-bound areas like Ladakh and March 1, 2027, in the rest of the country.

In the upcoming census, caste enumeration will also be done, the first such exercise since Independence. The last comprehensive caste-based count was done by the British between 1881 and 1931. Caste was excluded from all census operations conducted since Independence.

The decision to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on April 30.