Caste survey: About 6.2 crore of 6.85 crore population of Karnataka covered by end of physical survey

The more than a month-long house-to-house survey of the State’s population being conducted as part of the Social and Educational Survey-2025 by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes came to an end on Friday. Between 6.15 crore and 6.20 crore population of the estimated 6.85 crore population in the State (about 90 %) is believed to have been covered in the survey.

Though several districts have seen the survey go beyond the estimated target, it has lagged in the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) region since a number of residents here refused to participate since they had shared their details in their respective hometowns.

May go up to 6.20 crore

Commission Chairman Madhusudan Naik told The Hindu that data on those who refused to take part is currently not available. “We have the online window available till November 10 and the numbers could go up. We are expecting the number to reach 6.2 crore.” On the numbers that they were expecting online, he said, “It is difficult to predict because many of them have been misled by leaders in the dominant community.”

The commission has been asked by the government to submit its recommendations by December after analysing the data. With the commission having powers to move the castes between categories of backward, more backward and most backward, depending on the backwardness indicators, several microscopic, nomadic and semi nomadic communities will be keenly looking forward for the recommendations.

Amid misgivings by several communities over the survey, the commission headed by Mr. Naik started the survey work on October 22 in the State, while it commenced in Bengaluru on October 4. Though it was initially scheduled to be completed on October 7, the deadline was twice extended since the household coverage had not been satisfactory.

The survey is coming after the first one in 2015 by the H. Kantharaj Commission, the report of which was submitted by K. Jayaprakash Hegde Commission. Under pressure from the dominant Vokkaliga and Veerashaiva-Lingayat communities that accused the survey of being “unscientific”, the government shelved it, and ordered a fresh survey.

HC intervention

After the judicial intervention in which the Karnataka High Court mandated the Commission to keep the data confidential and also participation in the survey voluntary, several households not only refused to provide details but also allegedly abused the enumerators.

With the power meter number being the basis of mapping the households across the State, there were also complaints from the enumerators of not able to find households while complaints came against enumerators over skipping households or completing the survey in a hurry.

Communities’ response

The response to the survey of the communities has also been varied. While the microscopic communities and many other backward classes are learnt to have participated in the survey enthusiastically, many among the Brahmin community are said to have been reluctant, after a few eminent members of the community refused to participate, and a Union Minister openly urged the community members not to participate. On the other hand, caste organisations and mutts among Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats, who were bitterly opposed to the previous survey, have worked to get their numbers augmented by creating awareness among their members.

Ahead of the survey, the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community also remained confused, as the members were asked to enumerate themselves under “others” in the religious column with Veerashiava Mahasabha asking community members to enumerate as “Veerashaiva-Lingayats” and Lingayat Mahasabha as just “Lingayat.” Both moves had riled the BJP and RSS as they saw it as an attempt to “divide Hindus”.

After a backlash from the BJP, the commission was also forced to mask Christian sub groups having Hindu caste names in the app, but allowed households to identify themselves as they wished.