Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Bats For Nationwide Caste Census Based On Telangana Model
The Chief Minister urged the Union government to take inspiration from the Telangana caste survey, calling it a model worth considering.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday called for a nationwide caste census, stating that it must go beyond just counting communities and include detailed data on individuals' social, economic, educational, employment, and political conditions.
'A nationwide campaign for census encompassing social, economic, educational, employment, and political aspects of each individual must be conducted," Siddaramaiah said, noting the need for the data to initiate social justice policies.
The Chief Minister urged the Union government to take inspiration from the Telangana caste survey, calling it a model worth considering.
'Census should take place, taking Telangana state caste survey as a role model," he said.
Siddaramaiah's remarks come amid renewed demands from opposition parties and several state governments for an updated caste-based census.
The last full caste census in India was conducted in 1931. While limited data was gathered in the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) in 2011, its findings were not made public.
'India can never be a true democracy unless the majority who come from OBC, SC, ST and minority communities, that is the AHINDA communities, are not only counted, but also heard," he said.
The session, which will continue on day two, is focusing on the caste census in light of the Centre's decision to include caste data in the upcoming national census.
This gains importance as Rahul Gandhi, now the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has consistently pushed for a nationwide caste census.
The Chief Minister has consistently positioned Karnataka as a progressive state in terms of affirmative action and welfare.
His government recently accepted the recommendations of the state's Social and Educational Survey (also called the caste survey), conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes.
Based on its findings, the government increased reservations for certain communities, including the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and restructured quotas for Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
'We are implementing the social justice model in Karnataka through data. This is the only way to ensure that development and benefits reach those who have been historically left out."
He added that economic surveys alone do not offer a full picture of social inequality. 'We cannot make policy only on the basis of GDP or income levels. Caste, social backwardness and access to education and jobs must also be considered," he said.
Siddaramaiah has also called upon like-minded states and political parties to build consensus for a national caste census, and to ensure that the data collected is used to frame inclusive policies that close the gap in access to opportunity.
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