16th Census: ‘His mind has changed?’ Opposition questions when the word ‘caste’ disappears in the notification, PM Modi; Center response | Bharat News

New Delhi: The Center again came under suspicion after the disappearance of the word “caste” in the Gazette notification issued for the 16th census of India on Monday. However, the central government rejected the assurance that caste calculation would be a part of the upcoming census.Congress leader Jeram Ramesh questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his changing stance on the census of caste over the years and asked if he has “changed his mind” again after sure that the upcoming census would include caste calculations. However, a spokesman for the Ministry of Home Affairs called the claim “misleading” and said that “Census 2027 will include caste calculation”, the news agency PTI said.A MHA spokesman said, “Cosetic information has spread that there is no mention of caste census in the Gazette notification.” “The new in the notification today has come today – it has been said in this notification that the census will be held in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal and Uttarakhand in October 2026 and in other states of India in March 2027. This regard has been done on April 30.The word “caste” is not mentioned in the Gazette notification. However, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, who posted a notification on X, said, “Gazette notification issued for the 16th census of India with caste calculations!”Similarly, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who reviewed the preparations for the 16th census on Sunday, stated that “caste census will be included for the first time in the census”.“Reviewing the preparations for the 16th census with senior officials. Tomorrow, the Gazette notification of the census will be issued. The census will include caste calculation for the first time. Publications of more than 34 lakhs and supervisors and about 1.3 lakhs of census officials will operate the operation with cutting-edge mobile digital gadgets,” he said.However, Jeram Ramesh cited the previous record, when PM Modi opposed the caste calculation, while no mention of any time limit.“PM Modi says on 28 April 2024 – Those who talk about caste census, they have an ‘urban Naxal’ thinking. The Modi government gives an affidavit in the Supreme Court on 23 September 2021, stating that we will not conduct caste census. It is against our policy. Even the Modi government said that the government will not suddenly operate the government. That is, the government had to take this decision under the pressure of Congress Party, Congress President Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Mr. Rahul Gandhi.He said, “That is, there is no time limit. The Modi government has issued this notification only to make the headlines. There are many questions in this case and we will continue to pressurize that ‘Telangana Model’ should be adopted at the national level.”The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a notification on Monday stating that the 16th census would begin in non-surrounded areas of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, with the rest of the country in October 2026 in October 2026.“In the practice of powers provided by Section 3 of the Census Act 1948 and on March 26, 2018, in the suppression of the Government of India notification in the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Central Government announced that the Census of India’s population will be taken during the year 2027,” reads the MHA notification.The reference date for India’s 16th census on March 1, 2027, leaving Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand’s snow-bounds non-radical areas, where it will take place on 1 October 2026. In addition, it will be announced to join Jasnani on 30 April.