A caste survey will begin in Karnataka from September 22. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appealed to citizens to participate. The survey will help ensure social justice and equal opportunities. Data will be collected door-to-door using technological methods.
Caste Survey: A state-level caste survey is set to commence in Karnataka from September 22. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appealed to citizens to participate in the survey during a press conference on Friday. He stated that this survey is a significant step towards ensuring equal opportunities and social justice for all sections of society.
Siddaramaiah urged every citizen to participate in the survey and provide accurate answers to all questions asked by the enumerators. He emphasized that the government aims to gather precise information from every household to formulate just policies.
Objective of the Survey
The primary objective of this survey, to be conducted by the Karnataka State Permanent Backward Classes Commission, is to collect comprehensive data about the state's population, estimated to be around seven crore. The survey will run from September 22 to October 7. Approximately 1.75 lakh teachers will be deployed for this purpose and will be compensated with ₹20,000 each.
Technological assistance is being utilized to ensure accuracy in the survey. Each household will be geo-tagged based on its electricity meter number and assigned a unique household ID. The Chief Minister informed that this process has already been completed for 1.55 lakh households. Households without an electricity connection will also be included in the survey.
Technological and Online Arrangements
Details related to ration cards and Aadhaar will be linked to the family's mobile number during the survey. If a household is found locked, families can participate in the survey online. This will ensure that no household is left out of the survey. By employing technology, the survey aims to enhance data accuracy while also providing convenient options for the public. This will provide the state government with accurate statistics and aid in policy formulation.
Previous Report Rejected
A caste survey was also conducted in 2015 during Siddaramaiah's previous tenure. However, the commission could not submit its report due to technical reasons and deadline constraints. Subsequent coalition governments did not implement the report. Consequently, the Congress was compelled to include the caste census report in its manifesto for the 2023 assembly elections.
The Congress government received the report before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, it was not accepted due to opposition from the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities. Both communities described it as unscientific and alleged that their population was shown as understated.
The Controversy Explained
According to the data from the previous report, the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities had populations of 66.35 lakh and 61.58 lakh respectively. This was significantly lower than the long-standing claims of both communities. As a result, they protested against the survey and demanded a fresh survey.
The Chief Minister assured that this time, the survey will be conducted in a completely transparent and technologically robust manner. No community will face discrimination, and accurate information will be gathered from all households.
Inspiration from Bihar's Survey
This survey in Karnataka is inspired by the recent caste-based survey conducted in Bihar. The Bihar government issued a notification for a caste survey on June 6, 2022, following a Supreme Court order. The Bihar survey was conducted in two phases. This served as an example for the Karnataka government, demonstrating how a survey can yield accurate data on the status of various sections of society.
Chief Minister's Message
Siddaramaiah appealed to citizens to actively participate in the survey. He stressed the importance of reaching every household with accurate information, which will enable the state government to formulate just policies. He assured that the government would not tolerate any negligence in the survey process, all households would be covered, and data accuracy would be ensured.
Preparation for Survey Participation
Approximately 1.75 lakh teachers have been trained for the survey. All enumerators have been assigned the responsibility of collecting data door-to-door and reporting it online. Technological tools and a mobile application will be utilized for this purpose. The technological measures included in the survey encompass geo-tagging, unique household IDs, and linking with ration cards and Aadhaar.
