Archive · 25 Aug 2026
Gehlot Calls India’s Caste Census Process Flawed, Seeks Immediate Correction
Ashok Gehlot says the current caste census method may not produce accurate results.
People are reportedly being asked to write their caste names in their own words.
The same caste can have different names in different parts of India.
Gehlot says this could split one caste into many different groups.
He is also concerned that “Other Backward Classes” is not listed as a category.
Without reliable information, governments may find it harder to design fair policies.
Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have asked for a prepared list of castes.
Gehlot wants the government to stop the current process and create a better questionnaire.
He says political parties, experts and the public should help design it.
Ashok Gehlot called the ongoing caste census process completely flawed.
He said open-ended caste responses could fragment communities into unreliable categories.
Gehlot criticized the absence of the term “Other Backward Classes” from the census.
Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi reportedly urged Narendra Modi to prepare a comprehensive caste list.
Gehlot demanded a new questionnaire developed with parties, experts and public input.
- Who
- Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot raised the criticism; Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi were also cited as seeking changes.
- What
- Gehlot said the ongoing caste census process is flawed and demanded that it be withdrawn and redesigned.
- When
- The criticism concerns the ongoing process; the article says Kharge and Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi “today,” without giving a date.
- Where
- The statement was reported from Jaipur and concerns the census in India.
- Why
- Gehlot argues that open-ended caste entries and the absence of an “Other Backward Classes” category could make the data inaccurate and unusable.
- Main critic
- Ashok Gehlot, former Rajasthan Chief Minister
- Central concern
- The census uses an open-ended format in which people state their caste themselves.
- Data risk
- Different regional, linguistic and sub-caste names could divide one caste into many entries.
- Missing category
- Gehlot said “Other Backward Classes” is not included in the census.
- Reported letter
- Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- Proposed remedy
- Gehlot called for a new questionnaire prepared after consultations with political parties, experts and the public.
- Comparable approaches
- The article says similar approaches were used in caste surveys in Telangana in 2024 and Bihar in 2022.