Goa, June 16 -- The upcoming 2026-27 national Census is set to be a historic exercise unlike any previous enumeration in independent India. While two aspects-the inclusion of broader caste data and the initiation of a fresh delimitation process-have already garnered significant media attention, the true uniqueness of this Census lies in the critical timing and political context in which it is taking place.

For the first time since 1931, caste will be counted beyond the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), signaling a major shift in how the Indian state approaches social demographics. Although caste data have long been collected for SCs and STs, and recent state-level caste surveys have been conducted in Karnataka, Bihar, an...