Questions on caste - i.e., an enumeration of the various castes and sub-castes, and the number of people in each, across the country - will be part of the next census, which is expected to be held next year, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said during a cabinet briefing Wednesday afternoon. The government's big decision - a demand raised frequently and vociferously by the opposition over the past few years - comes months before a critical Assembly election in Bihar.