Why did Rahul Gandhi order a new caste census in Karnataka?
Team TOI Plus
TNN
Jun 26, 2025, 18:15 IST IST
The Karnataka government has chosen to do a fresh survey rather than release and act on the findings of the 2015 enumeration fearing a backlash from the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities.
In 2015, caste data was collected in Karnataka through meticulous door-to-door visits by over 1 lakh personnel. An extensive questionnaire was answered by every respondent. The idea was to measure various social and economic indicators. The entire exercise cost over Rs 160 crore.
The Congress government held up this Karnataka caste census as an example for the rest of the country. It also used the survey to target the Narendra Modi government, which appeared hesitant to carry out a national caste census.
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