ISTANBUL

India will include caste information in the next population census, marking a first since 1941.

Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Wednesday that the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has approved the inclusion, according to the Indian Express.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs has decided today…that caste enumeration should be included in the forthcoming census. This demonstrates that a government is committed to the values and interests of a society and country,” Vaishnaw said.

Censuses conducted between 1951 and 2011 have published data on scheduled castes and tribes, essentially the lowest in the Hindu caste hierarchy, but not on other castes. The inclusive data was collected but not published in 1941. Before 1931, every census included data on castes.

The caste system in India divides Hindus into four main groups – Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. Outside of this are the Dalits, also known as “Untouchables.”

India has a population of over 1.4 billion, the largest in the world.

*Ahmad Adil contributed from New Delhi.