Caste re-enumeration in three months will be Herculean task: Experts
A new full-fledged survey of Karnataka's population to identify backward classes and later classify them into categories to provide reservation, as announced by the State government, could take months to be undertaken and for the report to be prepared, said experts.
While the State government's decision to accept the 2015 Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (caste census) conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes 'in principle' and conduct a new survey has been termed 'logic defying' by some, the Cabinet meeting on Thursday is likely to spell out a proper road map.
Sources in the Chief Minister's Office said that the H. Kantharaj Commission's survey conducted at a cost of ₹165 crore and the report submitted by K. Jayaprakash Hegde Commission based on the survey was as good as 'junked.'
'The government is hopeful of completing the survey in three months the way the Telangana government completed its survey,' sources said.
However, those who have worked in the Backward Classes Commission, especially during the 2015 survey, expressed doubts about the possibility of completion within 90 days. 'Preparatory work for the survey includes identifying and drawing a list of castes and sub castes, preparing the questionnaire, bringing up a handbook, drawing up house list/ block list, appointment and training of enumerators, among many other things, and this takes at least six to eight months.'
Bigger population
At the time of the new survey, the projected population of Karnataka will be nearly 7 crore for which at least 1.5 lakh enumerators are required, it is estimated. In 2015, 5.98 crore people or about 95% of the total population was enumerated by about 1.35 lakh personnel.
'The enumerators are normally teachers. The Right to Education Act, 2009, prohibits the use of teachers for any other work during the academic year. They can be used only during holidays. In such a scenario, the work cannot be undertaken in the next few months,' sources said. 'If the survey is hurried, it could end up making mistakes and get into legal trouble,' an expert, formerly with the commission, warned.
More parameters
Another source, who was earlier in the commission, said that the survey work has to commence from a very basic level as those opposing the 2015 survey had cast aspersions on almost everything. 'The earlier two commissions focused on the provisions of Article 15 (4) of the Constitution on education and social backwardness. They did not touch provisions of Article 16 (4) for adequate representation. Without study on adequate representation, how will you understand the benefits that the castes have received in public education and employment avenues? This has to be included in terms of reference for the new survey.' Unless adequate representation is studied, the reclassification of caste is not scientific,' sources added.
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