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The Union Cabinet has approved including caste enumeration in the next Census.
This will be the first time since 1931 that all castes will be officially counted.
So far, only SCs and STs have been counted in the regular Census.
The 2021 Census has been indefinitely postponed, originally due to COVID-19.
Caste will now be counted during the second phase of the Census with legal backing.
Unlike the 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC), this count will be part of the official Census and mandatory.
The next Census will be digital, likely using a caste code directory in a mobile app.
The 2011 SECC recorded over 46 lakh caste names due to open-ended responses.
This time, standardized caste names will be used to avoid duplication and confusion.
There are about 2,650 OBC communities, 1,170 SCs, and 890 STs in the central lists.
States have their own lists of OBC communities.
BJP leaders accused Congress of avoiding caste census during its time in power.
The government says this move will help inclusion and support development planning.
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