Telangana Assembly urges Centre to include OBCs in Census 2027 questionnaire

The Telangana Legislative Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution urging the Centre to include the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category in the questionnaire for the second phase of the 2027 Census, on a par with the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). 

The resolution was adopted amid a walkout by BJP members protesting against the Congress government over the non-implementation of its 'BC Declaration' announced ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.

State Backwards Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, who moved the resolution, said OBCs should be clearly identified in the 10th question of the Census questionnaire.

The resolution called for the 10th question, which deals with SCs and STs, to be amended to include the identification of OBCs.

Prabhakar said the lists of backward classes recognised by the Centre and state governments should be uploaded in advance on the digital portal. This would allow enumerators to select the relevant caste from the available lists, he said.

The resolution said accurate data on the population of backward communities was necessary for implementing welfare schemes and determining their share of the population.

BJP members walked out of the Assembly alleging that the Congress government had failed to implement its 'BC Declaration', announced in Kamareddy ahead of the 2023 elections.

The declaration had promised to increase BC reservations in local bodies from 23 per cent to 42 per cent, introduce a statutory BC sub-plan, spend Rs 1 lakh crore over five years on BC welfare and establish a separate Most Backward Classes welfare department.

BJP deputy floor leader Paayal Shankar asked the government to clarify when it would implement the commitments made under the 'BC Declaration'.

Responding to the BJP, Prabhakar said BJP MLAs should take the parties represented in the Telangana Assembly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Calling the BJP a 'Manuvadi party', he said the walkout was an "insult" to Telangana's BCs and urged BC organisations to question the BJP over the issue.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said a caste census should be conducted as part of the national census to help eliminate inequalities and ensure justice for backward communities.

He also asked the BJP to make its position clear on whether a caste census should be conducted.

Vikramarka said the caste survey conducted by the Congress government in Telangana should serve as a model for the national census.

Following the debate, Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar announced that the resolution had been adopted.  (with inputs from PTI)