Caste Census Is Like an MRI for India’s Social Health: VP Dhankhar

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 29th May: Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday hailed the government’s decision to include caste-based enumeration in the upcoming decadal census, terming it a “transformative” and “game-changing” step that will help advance social justice through data-driven policymaking.

Speaking to probationers of the Indian Statistical Service (ISS) in New Delhi, Dhankhar said the move to include caste data wasn’t about creating divisions but about “seeing clearly.” “It’s like getting an MRI of the body,” he said. “Once we see what’s really going on beneath the surface, we can treat it. That’s what this data will do for India.”

Recalling how the last caste census was conducted nearly a century ago in 1931, Dhankhar admitted he had once turned to it to understand his own roots. “I understand its value personally,” he shared.

He urged young statisticians to see their work as deeply human, not just numerical. “Every digit in our national database represents a human story,” he told them. “Good governance without good data is like surgery in the dark.”

The Vice-President warned that policies based on outdated or insufficient data could do more harm than good. “Stale data can misguide. But timely, well-read data? That can produce exponential outcomes,” he said, likening their role to that of navigators steering the nation’s course.

He also underscored how demographic data helps policymakers understand everything from national security to economic growth. “Demographic trends aren’t just numbers. They are the pulse of the nation,” he said. “And you—our young officers—are the ones who help us hear that pulse.”

Dhankhar asked the officers to see themselves as quiet enablers of equality. “Statistics can map inequality like a cartographer maps terrain,” he said. “If someone can’t ask for help, it’s your job to make sure they’re not left out.”

The Vice-President also praised India’s civil servants as “silent architects” of the country’s progress and credited their work—combined with political will—for India’s rapid development in infrastructure and economy.

In a warm tribute to India’s linguistic diversity, he stressed that languages should never be seen as a source of division. “Our languages are our spinal strength,” he said. “They unite us. They are a source of pride, not conflict.”

He lauded the National Education Policy for promoting education in regional languages, even in technical fields like medicine and engineering. “This is how we make learning accessible. This is how we include, not exclude.”

The event was also attended by Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary of the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, and P. R. Meshram, Director General of the Ministry.