Jammu Tawi, April 1 -- Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Tuesday called on the government to immediately initiate both the decadal census and the caste census, expressing concerns over the exclusion of many individuals from welfare schemes due to delays in the census process.

During the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Kharge highlighted the historical significance of the census, noting that India has conducted a census every ten years since 1881, even during wars and emergencies. He recalled the 1931 census, which was the last to include data on caste, and quoted Mahatma Gandhi, who compared the census to a periodic medical checkup, vital for assessing the health of the nation.

Kharge pointed out that despit...