The report of Socio-Economic and Education Survey, commonly referred to as the caste census, conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes in 2015-2016, is expected to be submitted in November of this year.
Commission Chairman Jayaprakash Hegde, whose tenure concludes in November, has stated that the commission is actively working on the final report and plans to submit it by the end of November, reported several news agencies.
“All the data is ready and the preparation of a report/synopsis is currently being done. The report will be submitted in the end of November,” Hegde said to The Hindu.
The commission, then led by H. Kantharaj, had conducted the survey in 2015-16.
During his initial term, Siddaramaiah commissioned the ‘caste census’ at a cost of Rs 170 crore, marking the first such endeavor since 1931. His rationale was that precise caste data would aid the government in formulating effective welfare programs.
Nonetheless, the survey results remained confidential due to concerns of potential political repercussions, particularly following leaked findings that challenged the prevailing perception that Lingayats and Vokkaligas were the dominant castes. A senior government official has said that the report is unlikely to be released before the Parliamentary polls, The Hindu reported. The two prominent land-owning caste groups in Karnataka, the Lingayats/Veerashaivas and Vokkaligas, whose estimated populations in the leaked data stand at 14% and 11%, respectively, have expressed opposition to the report. These communities argue that the leaked data significantly underrepresents their actual numbers.
Some sections of Lingayats and Vokkaligas have approached the Karnataka High Court to scrap the caste census on the grounds that it cannot be conducted by a state government. The case is currently pending in the court.
Based on information from informed sources, the caste census is expected to indicate that Dalits have the highest population in Karnataka, followed by Muslims, Lingayats, Vokkaligas, and Kurubas. It is suggested that the extremely backward classes, including Idigas, Kumbaras, and others, could collectively account for approximately 20% of the population.
Pressure is mounting on the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to accept the census report after the Bihar government publicised similar data.
In April, prior to the Karnataka polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to disclose the results of the 2011 caste census. The Karnataka Congress also included a commitment in their manifesto to release the findings of the caste census.
