India, May 29 -- Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday hailed the Union government's decision to conduct caste-based census and said it was a "great decision" that will "be a transformative step."

"It will help bring about social justice. It will be an eye-opener. It will satisfy people's aspirations. It's a very broad decision of the government. There was a caste-based census earlier. Last time, I think it was conducted in 1931. I looked up to that census many times to know about my caste. I therefore realise the importance of caste-based enumeration," he said.

Dhankhar who was addressing the probationers of the Indian Statistical Service said, contrary to the perception that a caste-census will be divisive, a thoughtfully collec...