2 days ago
Ground work on new survey could start by September-October; govt. hoping to secure report by December
Drawing from the experience of the H. Kantharaj Commission, which conducted the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (caste census) in 2015, based on which the K. Jayaprakash Hegde Commission submitted recommendations in 2024, the State government is hoping to complete the new survey of a population of about seven crore in Karnataka by this December.
The Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, which is now headed by former Advocate General Madhusudan R. Naik, will be taking up the survey.
While multiple sources who have worked previously in the commission estimated that the minimum time required to complete the survey and provide recommendations would be about a year, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that it would be completed in three months from the date of notification.
The survey – after preparation -- is not expected to begin anytime before September/ October, Backward Classes Department sources said. Multiple sources have pointed that preparation of the list of castes/ sub castes, appointing and training of enumerators, creating blocklist, analysis of data and preparing report/ recommendation could take a lot time.
Telangana example
However, Backward Classes Department sources pointed to Telangana, which conducted a similar survey through the Planning Commission and completed the whole exercise of planning, survey work, and recommendations in 70 days.
'With improvement in technology and use of mobile phone application, we believe that the survey work would be faster. The H.N. Nagmohan Das Commission working on internal reservation has used a software to collect information. With change of applications, we can develop a similar one for the survey,' sources said, pointing out at the availability of the digitised data of 1.34 crore families.
The number of questions in the questionnaire that was 54 in the previous survey could also be reduced, sources indicated.
Involving teachers
Regarding restrictions on utilising teachers for the survey during working days under the Right To Education Act, sources said that each teacher could be given 150 to 200 houses for the entire survey period.
'Teachers can complete two houses a day and they can participate in the survey after the school hours. We may rope in many others along with teachers for the survey work this time. We are still in the planning stage and nothing is fixed yet. The members of the commission will also be appointed soon,' said a source.
