Bhubaneswar: The Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today approved a proposal to conduct caste enumeration during the upcoming census.

This was revealed by Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw while briefing the media persons in New Delhi today.

“The successive Congress governments at the Centre did not conduct caste enumeration during the census. Some state governments recently conducted caste surveys, which are far from scientific and accurate. Most of these surveys are politically motivated. In this context, the Union Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to conduct the caste enumeration during the upcoming census in the country,” said Vaishnaw.  

Notably, the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi have been demanding caste census in the country for last several years.

The Union Cabinet also approved a proposal to construct a greenfield high-speed corridor from Shillong in Meghalaya to Silchar in Assam in the Eastern sector. The Centre will spend Rs 22,864 crore on the 166-km road project, added Vaishnaw.

Besides, the Union Cabinet also gave its nod to Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for the season 2025-26 at Rs 355 per quintal.