Amid quota row, TVK reiterates caste survey plan

CHENNAI: Heated exchange between the Dravidian majors, DMK and AIADMK, over the caste census and the 10.5% internal reservation for the Vanniyar community has led the ruling party to officially announce in the House that the government would take up caste-based enumeration after the Union government concludes the Census exercise.

Replying to the demands for grants for the Backward and Most Backward Classes Welfare Department, Minister V Sampathkumar followed up on Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's reported assurance to PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss, saying that the State government would conduct a Social Justice Audit after the caste-based census was completed.

He said the government would follow rationalist leader Periyar's policy of "Everything for Everyone" and ensure proportionate reservation for each community. The State government had urged the Union government to conduct the caste census along with the population Census, the minister added, reiterating its position.

"Providing proportionate reservation to each community is true social justice, and this is also the basic policy of our government," he said.

Meanwhile, the Census Directorate of Tamil Nadu has commenced door-to-door household enumeration across the State. The second phase of the Census, including caste-based enumeration, is scheduled to be completed by March 2027.