Facts checked 29 September 2026 for the CAT 2026 cycle
WAT Topic: "Will counting caste in the Census strengthen social justice or deepen divisions?" - social category, hard difficulty. Consider 2 perspectives for a balanced essay.
Open with the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on 30 April 2025 to include caste enumeration in Census 2027, whose population enumeration phase is scheduled for February 2027. State that the data helps only if it is used with care.
Para 1: Why fresh data matters for reservation and welfare targeting
Para 2: Risks: the politics of numbers, data quality, pressure on the 50% cap
Para 3: Safeguards: trained enumerators, a standard caste code list, transparent use of results
Count, but decide separately how the numbers will be used. Keep data collection and policy choices apart.
Census 2027 is India's first digital census, in two phases: houselisting (April to September 2026) and population enumeration (February 2027) (PIB)
The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs decided on 30 April 2025 to include caste enumeration in Census 2027 (PIB)
The government approved an outlay of Rs 11,718.24 crore for Census 2027 (PIB)
Treating the topic as a party-political argument
Confusing the Census with older caste surveys
Ignoring practical issues of data quality
Use the PIB timeline as your anchor. Keep to data, policy design and safeguards, and avoid naming parties.
Rhetoric (4th Century BC)
Insight: Persuasion requires ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic) working together.
How to apply: Structure your WAT with logical arguments (logos), establish credibility through data/examples (ethos), and connect to human impact (pathos). IIM evaluators look for all three.
Made to Stick (2007)
Insight: Ideas that stick are Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and tell Stories (SUCCESs).
How to apply: Open with an unexpected fact or angle. Use concrete examples, not abstractions. Ground arguments in credible data. Make it memorable.
The Sense of Style (2014)
Insight: Good writing is about showing the reader something in the world, not performing your knowledge.
How to apply: Don't write to impress—write to illuminate. Avoid jargon and pompous language. Show you understand the issue, don't just list points.
Politics and the English Language (1946)
Insight: Clear thinking leads to clear writing. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
How to apply: Prefer active voice. Cut unnecessary words. If you can cut a word, cut it. Clarity beats complexity in 200-word essays.
Values original thinking and nuanced positions over conventional wisdom.
Tip: IIMA loves contrarian but well-reasoned takes. Don't be afraid to challenge the premise of the topic itself.
Practical, business-oriented evaluation. Values structured thinking.
Tip: IIMB appreciates when you connect topics to business/management implications. Always include "so what" for managers.
Rigorous analytical approach. Values data and economic reasoning.
Tip: IIMC loves numbers. Include at least one relevant statistic. Show you understand economic trade-offs.
Balanced evaluation of content and expression.
Tip: IIML values clear structure. Use explicit transitions and signposting.
Ethics-focused, values human-centric perspectives.
Tip: XLRI's Jesuit heritage means they value ethical dimensions. Always consider the human/social impact angle.
There's no "right" stance. What matters is taking a clear position and defending it well. Use the PIB timeline as your anchor. Keep to data, policy design and safeguards, and avoid naming parties.
Nobody outside the institute can say. IIMs set the essay topic on the day. This topic is tied to an issue that was current in September 2026, and the statistics on this page carry their source and date, so use it for practice.
Open with the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on 30 April 2025 to include caste enumeration in Census 2027, whose population enumeration phase is scheduled for February 2027. State that the data helps only if it is used with care. Your body should cover: Para 1: Why fresh data matters for reservation and welfare targeting; Para 2: Risks: the politics of numbers, data quality, pressure on the 50% cap; Para 3: Safeguards: trained enumerators, a standard caste code list, transparent use of results.
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