The Indian National Congress said it will mount a nationwide campaign demanding a comprehensive caste-based census after party leaders met in Bengaluru on Wednesday at the inaugural session of the AICC OBC Advisory Council. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who chaired the meeting, credited Rahul Gandhi’s long-running advocacy for pushing the Union government to agree in principle to conduct the survey. Party officials argued that updated data on Other Backward Classes is vital for tackling discrimination and poverty and pledged to deliver policy recommendations through the new council. Siddaramaiah also announced that the Congress will press for extending reservations for OBC students to private educational institutions, describing the move as essential to social justice.