Communities Gear Up as Karnataka Caste Census Begins September 22 Statewide

Karnataka is gearing up for its Social and Educational Survey, commonly called the "caste census," starting September 22, as communities across the state mobilize to boost their population counts. The survey, conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, may face a slight delay in Greater Bengaluru due to the need for additional training in five newly formed corporations.

Running until October 7, the survey will deploy 1.75 lakh enumerators, primarily government school teachers, to cover approximately 7 crore people across 2 crore households. With a budget of Rs 420 crore, the survey uses a 60-question questionnaire designed for a "scientific" approach, according to officials.

The survey has stirred controversy, particularly over a caste list that includes dual-identity entries like "Kuruba Christian" and "Brahmin Christian." Facing backlash, including from within the ruling Congress party, the Backward Classes Commission, led by Chairman Madhusudan R Naik, decided to "mask" these 33 dual-identity castes in the survey app’s dropdown menu. Naik clarified that the list was meant for internal use to assist enumerators and lacks legal standing. Citizens can still freely declare their caste, even if it’s not prompted.

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Naik addressed concerns about public confusion, stating, “We’ve ensured the dropdown won’t display these castes to avoid misperceptions, but individuals can specify any caste they identify with.” The commission also introduced face-recognition technology to streamline Aadhaar authentication and reduce KYC issues.

Each household will be geo-tagged using its electricity meter number and assigned a Unique Household ID (UHID). Ration cards and Aadhaar details will be linked to mobile numbers for data accuracy. A helpline (8050770004) and online participation options are available for those unavailable during enumerator visits or with grievances.

Communities are actively strategizing to maximize their numbers. Vokkaliga leaders, representing a dominant community, have urged members to identify their religion as "Hindu" and caste as "Vokkaliga," mentioning sub-castes only if necessary. The Veerashaiva-Lingayat community faces internal debate, with some leaders advocating to list Veerashaiva-Lingayat as a religion rather than Hindu, while others leave it to individual discretion. Other groups, including Kurubas, Muslims, Scheduled Castes, and Brahmins, have held meetings to unify their approach to the survey.

The opposition BJP has criticized the Congress government, alleging the survey is a rushed attempt to "divide Hindus" and questioning its necessity given the upcoming national census with caste enumeration. This follows the state’s 2015 survey, which cost Rs 165.51 crore but was discarded as “unscientific.” The Karnataka Cabinet approved this fresh survey on June 12, citing a legal mandate to update the backward classes list every decade.

With dominant communities like Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats previously rejecting the 2015 survey, and ongoing debates within Congress, the caste census remains a contentious issue, highlighting Karnataka’s complex social dynamics as communities vie for numerical strength.

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