CWC resolution pushes for private sector reservations, 'lesson' to Pak

Two days after the Modi government announced a nationwide caste census, the Congress has raised the stakes. On Friday, the party demanded lifting the 50 per cent cap on reservations and extending the policy to the private sector.

A resolution passed at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) — the party’s top decision-making body — also called for the immediate implementation of Article 15(5) of the Constitution, allowing reservations for OBCs, Dalits, and Adivasis in private educational institutions.

The meeting was chaired by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, while former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and general-secretaries Jairam Ramesh, K.C. Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were among those in attendance.

The CWC resolution also urged the Centre to act with firmness in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack to "penalise" Pakistan for its continued export of terror and asserted this is a time for demonstrating our collective will as a nation to “teach Pakistan a lesson”.

Calling for national unity and resolve, the resolution also pressed for "time-bound accountability" into the "serious lapses" in security and intelligence in one of the most heavily-guarded regions of the country.

“This is a time for demonstrating our collective will as a nation to teach Pakistan a lesson and curb terrorism decisively. The masterminds and perpetrators of this cowardly attack must face full consequences for their actions,” the resolution said.

Reasserting its long-standing demand for a time-bound caste census, the Congress highlighted the Telangana model as a benchmark of best practices and shared the 56-question survey form devised by the Congress government. Other than Telangana, Bihar is only state where a caste-based survey has been conducted so far.

In a pointed jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress MP and general-secretary (communications) Ramesh quipped: "Leave aside the 56-inch chest — ask 56 questions," in a reference to Modi's one-time assertion of a '56-inch chest' as a symbol of his bravery.

Congress leaders also insisted that the caste census must go beyond mere enumeration and serve as a full-fledged socio-economic survey. “This is not just about counting castes,” senior leader Sachin Pilot told the media after the CWC meeting.

“It’s about uncovering the lived realities of the majority — how people live, how many are educated, what jobs they do, and even what they eat. This is a transparent and scientific attempt to grasp the social and economic conditions across the country.”

Pilot also demanded clarity from the government on the timeline and methodology for the exercise. “As Rahul Gandhi ji says, the caste census should act as an X-ray of society. Only then can real participation and justice be ensured,” he added.

The CWC resolution also credited Rahul Gandhi for championing the issue over the years. "At the 2022 Nav Sankalp Shivir in Udaipur, he called for urgent caste-based data to help frame policies rooted in ground realities. That call was reiterated at the Congress Plenary in Raipur in 2023 and remains central to our 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha manifestos," the resolution noted.

Asked about Congress’ expectations from the government on the caste census, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel laid out four key demands:

• A time-bound caste census

• An increase in the 50 per cent reservation ceiling

• Inclusion of a detailed socio-economic survey

• Implementation of reservation in the private sector, as provided under Article 15(5)

"This decision should not meet the same fate as women's reservation; nothing will be achieved by writing a column in the name of caste census," he said.

It is worth noting here that despite opposing the idea of a nationwide caste census for 11 years, the ruling BJP is now attempting to claim credit for it, with the Modi government’s sudden U-turn being projected as a 'progressive' step.

With PTI inputs