In Mumbai, Other Backward Classes (OBC) organizations have expressed their discontent over the exclusion of their category from the first-phase Census enumeration form, which is set to begin in May. They have reached out to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Registrar General of Census for clarification. The 33-point form includes questions regarding whether individuals belong to Scheduled Castes (SC) or Scheduled Tribes (ST), but notably omits OBCs. This exclusion has raised concerns about the government's intentions regarding a caste-based census. Sachin Rajurkar, general secretary of the Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh, highlighted that while the government has assured a caste-based census in the second phase next year, the current form's design contradicts this commitment. He referenced previous failed attempts at conducting a caste-based census, notably during the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and assurances made in 2019 by then Home Minister Rajnath Singh. A senior official from the Mantralaya stated that the OBC category is likely to be included in the second phase, emphasizing that SC and ST categories have always been part of the Census due to constitutional provisions.