No discussion on caste census in GoM meet

New Delhi, July 1 (ANI): A Group of Ministers (GoM) formed to look into the possibilities of including caste in the ongoing census, which met here on Thursday did not take any decision on the issue.

Union Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal said all aspects were discussed with seriousness and the GoM would meet very soon again.

The GoM headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was expected to take an expeditious decision as the second part of the census exercise is scheduled to begin in September.

Other members of the GoM are Law Minister M Veerappa Moily, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah, Housing Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee. A section of political leaders from all parties demanded that caste be included in the census.

In May, the Union Cabinet formed the GoM on the issue after consensus could not be reached.

The issue had figured prominently during the last Budget Session.

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, had assured Parliament that his government would take the views expressed by the House into account before deciding on the matter.

Inclusion of caste in the census was last done in the country in 1931. (ANI)