Latest news with #KarnatakaStateCommissionforBackwardClasses
Hindustan Times
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Karnataka to begin caste survey from September 22: CM Siddaramaiah
The state government will conduct a comprehensive socio-educational survey, or more popularly known as the caste survey, covering its entire 70 million population from September 22 to October 7, chief minister Siddaramaiah announced on Wednesday, positioning the exercise as a 'model for the entire country.' The Congress decided to conduct the new survey during a high-level meeting in New Delhi on June 10, responding to complaints from communities that claimed they were either excluded or underrepresented in the previous exercise. (PTI) The 15-day survey, proposed by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, aims to gather data on economic status, land ownership and social identity to serve as the foundation for the state's next budget and policy decisions. 'The main objective is to eliminate caste-based discrimination,' Siddaramaiah said during a preparatory meeting. 'A comprehensive survey must be conducted on the financial condition of every individual, including whether they own land. The report will be used as a basis during the preparation of the next budget.' The fresh survey addresses mounting criticism of the previous Socio-Economic and Educational Survey, with influential communities—particularly Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats—demanding the earlier report be scrapped due to alleged underrepresentation. The Congress decided to conduct the new survey during a high-level meeting in New Delhi on June 10, responding to complaints from communities that claimed they were either excluded or underrepresented in the previous exercise. 'Preparations such as training must begin right away. The survey must be carried out very effectively, and precautions should be taken to ensure that there are no grounds for complaints,' Siddaramaiah emphasised on Wednesday. 'It must be ensured that no one is excluded from this exercise.' Unlike the previous Kantharaj Commission survey, which used 54 questions and was conducted manually, the new exercise will use mobile applications and include additional components. Officials have been directed to study the methodology used in Telangana's similar survey. 'That commission had prepared 54 questions and conducted the survey manually. This time, we are looking into the inclusion of more components. The survey will be carried out using a mobile app,' the chief minister said. The massive undertaking will require 165,000 enumerators, including teachers and staff from various government departments. 'All departments must work in coordination to make this a success,' A high-level oversight committee will supervise implementation, with special planning for urban areas. 'A specific plan must be drawn up for conducting the survey successfully in the Bengaluru urban region,' he added. The chief minister stressed the need for scientific rigour and transparency: 'The survey must be scientific and transparent. A panel of experts should help finalise the questions to be asked.' The groundwork for Karnataka's caste census was laid during Siddaramaiah's initial tenure as chief minister through an extensive 2015 survey costing ₹162 crore. Although he announced acceptance of that report in June, its contents and release date remain undisclosed. Leaked data from the earlier survey indicated Scheduled Castes accounted for 19.5% of the state's population, followed by Muslims at 16%, Lingayats at 14% and Vokkaligas at 11%. Within the Other Backward Classes, the Kuruba community alone comprised 7% of Karnataka's population, contributing to the OBCs' overall representation of 20% in the state. Collectively, these groups—including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Muslims and Kurubas—formed a substantial 47.5% of the population, findings that could significantly impact the state's political landscape, according to federations of marginalised sections. The final report is expected by the end of October and will directly influence budget allocations and policy formulations for the state's diverse communities.
The Hindu
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Fresh Karnataka caste survey to begin on September 22
The second Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (popularly called caste census) by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes will be conducted from September 22 to October 7. The commission has been told to submit the final report with recommendations before the end of October. The commission has been told to study a similar survey conducted by the Telengana government. This comes amidst some misgivings expressed by experts over the conduct of a fresh survey of the entire population in a short time frame. Survey to cover 7 crore population of Karnataka The survey of the seven crore population of Karnataka will be done by 1.65 lakh enumerators over 15 days. Apart from teachers, employees from various departments of the government would be roped in for the exercise this time. The second survey comes after the government decided to keep aside the first survey conducted in 2015 by the commission headed by H. Kantharaj, the report of which was submitted by the commission headed by K. Jayaprakash Hegde in 2024. Following pressure from land-owning and politically dominant Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats, the government shied away from accepting the report and implementing its recommendations, but the official reason cited was that the survey is based on decade-old data, and a fresh survey was necessary. 'The commission has submitted a proposal to the government to conduct the survey. Addressing discrimination of castes is the main focus of the survey, which should become a model for the country,' Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said after chairing a meeting on July 23 to discuss modalities of the survey. The survey, he said, would be the basis for preparation of the next budget, and that the comprehensive survey would include economic conditions, including land and property holdings, of every person in Karnataka. 'The commission has been told to submit the report before October-end.' He said that precautions should be taken to prevent any scope for complaints. 'Survey work should be transparent, and efforts should be made to ensure that no one is excluded.' The commission should start training and other preparatory work, he added. Will use an app Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the survey would be conducted using an app while the previous survey by the Kantharaj Commission was done manually. 'The previous survey had 54 questions for respondents. We will have more questions this time. A technical committee will be set up to finalise the questions. The survey should be scientific and transparent.' He has directed the commission to have a high-power committee to monitor the survey work in Bengaluru where the previous survey lagged due to non-cooperation of people, and lack of manpower, among other reasons. Backward Classes Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, Commission Chairperson Madhusudan R. Naik and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajaneesh were among those present in the meeting.
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Fresh caste census runs into delays
Bengaluru: The govt's decision to conduct the socio-educational survey afresh, commonly referred to as a caste census, has stumbled at the starting line. Despite cabinet approval on June 12 and a 90-day deadline, the process is yet to take off, with internal political wrangling and procedural bottlenecks holding it back. A key issue is the delay in constituting the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes (BC commission), the statutory body responsible for overseeing the exercise. Though the govt was expected to issue a notification by June 19, no progress has been made and the appointment of five commission members remains unresolved. The delay is largely due to differences within the governing Congress over selection of members. Officials said a shortlist has been sent to chief minister Siddaramaiah, but competing camps within the party are lobbying hard for their nominees. "The CM's task is cut out given the pressure being mounted by various groups. He is expected to look into appointments once he returns from New Delhi," said an official familiar with the process. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru The composition of the commission has become politically sensitive following criticism of the previous caste census conducted under H Kantharaj and later revised by K Jayaprakash Hegde. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Several communities, including Lingayats, Kodavas, Bunts, Balijas, and Idigas, have alleged that their population figures were under-reported. These groups are now demanding representation in the new commission to ensure their concerns are addressed. "The process of appointing members to the BC commission is in the final stage," said BC welfare minister Shivaraj Tangadagi. "The composition will be balanced. Since we want to consider views being aired from all communities and address their concerns, we will finalise the names after consulting the chief minister." However, the delay has meant Madhusudan R Naik, who was appointed chairman of the BC Commission in Jan, has been unable to begin work. "We are preparing the ground and studying previous reports and models of similar exercises. We will have meetings and consultations with stakeholders, once members are appointed. The report will be prepared as soon as possible," Naik said. Meanwhile, the govt is facing staffing hurdles. With teachers already deployed for the Justice Nagamohan Das commission's ongoing survey on Scheduled Castes, there is resistance to using them again. Education minister Madhu Bangarappa has suggested outsourcing the work to private agencies, but legal and credibility concerns remain. Political opposition is also mounting from within Ahinda groups who want the govt to act on the recommendations of the Hegde report instead of starting afresh. "We were told that the govt has neither rejected nor accepted the Kantharaj report," said K Ramachandrappa, president, Shoshitha Vargagala Maha Okkuta. "We will launch a state-wide agitation from next week, urging the govt to publicise that report. Let there be a debate about it before the govt embarks on a fresh caste census. "
Hindustan Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Four nominated for Karnataka Backward Classes panel
The government has started preparations for a new socio-educational survey with chief minister Siddaramaiah nominating four new members to the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes. The government has started preparations for a new socio-educational survey with chief minister Siddaramaiah nominating four new members to the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes. (PTI) 'Four new members have been appointed to the commission — former IGP K Arkesh from Channapatna, advocate Shivanna Gowda from Mysuru, Mangaluru-based assistant professor B Sumana, and CM Kundagol, a retired principal from Dharwad. With these additions, the panel is now fully operational under the leadership of Madhusudhan R Naik, a former advocate-general who was appointed as the chairman in January,' said a senior official familiar with the development. It was communicated to the commission on Sunday. 'The commission is expected to hold discussions soon and advise the government on how to proceed with the proposed enumeration of the population,' the official said. The official further said that the recommendations have been communicated to the commission, however, the official orders are yet to be issued. While the commission may be entrusted with the task, officials have indicated the possibility of setting up a new committee for the purpose. Siddaramaiah has also asked his ministers to share their suggestions before finalising modalities. Unlike the 2015 exercise, which relied heavily on schoolteachers and suffered delays, the upcoming survey will likely lean on digital tools to speed up data collection, the official quote above said. With schools now in session, the government is considering deploying teachers after class hours and paying them for their time, said another official. However, the revival of socio-educational survey efforts has reignited resistance from powerful communities, including Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats, who previously slammed the Kantharaju report as flawed and accused it of undercounting their populations. On Sunday, the Samajika Nyaya Jagruthi Vedike warned the state against rushing into another survey. At a roundtable in Bengaluru, members questioned the need for a state-specific count when the Union government has already committed to a caste-based enumeration in the upcoming decadal census. 'The Karnataka government has already wasted 10 years in the name of caste census. A resolution was taken in the meeting to urge the government not to waste people's tax money and time to conduct another caste census,' said Vishnukant Chatapalli, a representative of the forum. He further said, 'The central government will conduct a caste census along with the population census. The caste census will include social and educational aspects as well as cultural details. The Centre will spend ₹ 13,000 crore for this.' Arguing that only Union-collected data would have constitutional legitimacy, the forum demanded the state to release the Kantharaju report to the public and refrain from initiating a parallel process. 'If the state government does not stop conducting separate caste censuses, legal action should be taken,' said Chatapalli. Attacking the government, BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar questioned the chief minister's shifting position on implementing the Hegde report. 'No matter how much pressure comes, we will not accept Jayaprakash Hegde's report. Chief minister Siddaramaiah has repeatedly said that we will implement the recommendations of that report. But why did he change his stance after going to Delhi and returning?' he asked. 'Whether the government accepts or implements the report is a secondary issue. First, it should be released for public awareness.' Responding to these criticisms, Congress MLA Yathindra, Siddaramaiah's son, blamed the previous governments for the delay in caste enumeration. 'Had those administrations responded appropriately and moved forward with the earlier report, we wouldn't be in a position where another survey is necessary,' he said, referring to the BJP and JD(S) governments' inaction on the 2015 report.
Indian Express
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Who stopped you from implementing the caste census report?': H D Kumaraswamy asks Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy Sunday slammed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah following the latter's allegations that Kumaraswamy had stalled the implementation of the Social and Educational Survey Report – popularly known as caste census – compiled by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes during his tenure as chief minister. Speaking at the Janata Dal (Secular) state headquarters in Bengaluru, after flagging off the party's state tour and membership campaign under Nikhil Kumaraswamy, president of the JD(S) youth wing, the Union Minister asked why the Karnataka government had not accepted its report during its two-year tenure. The state government has recently decided to scrap the Survey carried out in 2015 and go for a fresh survey of various castes in the state. 'The CM has falsely claimed that I threatened the then-minister C Puttarangashetty not to accept the caste census report,' Kumaraswamy said, countering Siddaramaiah's remarks made last Thursday. The CM had alleged that though the Survey report was ready during Kumaraswamy's tenure as CM, he had decided against accepting the report. 'It's been two years since you came to power. Who has stopped you from implementing the caste census? Aren't you the so-called champion of backward classes? Then why haven't you implemented it?' he asked. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP and JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda responded to the contention that the JD(S) as a regional party would not survive after him. The former prime minister said the 'party has survived and will survive after I am gone'. Reacting to the loss of the party in the Channapatna bypoll last year, Deve Gowda said, 'One defeat cannot shake us. We will rise again, and the party has that strength.' Responding to accusations that the JD(S) was a family-run party, Deve Gowda maintained that it was a party of its workers. 'Many great leaders have held office through this party, and many are still serving. Some have held positions and left, but the party has endured. Between two national parties, JD(S) has remained a strong regional force,' he said.
