The new survey would be completed in 90 days
| Photo Credit:
KSL
Karnataka plans to redo the Caste Census Bill. The Bill, which was presented to the State cabinet in April, had earlier ignited widespread controversy across the State with a proposal to increase OBC reservation from 32 per cent to 51 per cent.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the State’s Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (popularly called the Caste Census) would be redone to allay doubts of various communities over the sanctity of data. Speaking to the media after a meeting with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leadership in Delhi, he said the Karnataka government will finalise the redoing of the caste census in the next Cabinet meeting to be held on June 12
The survey report, which had proposed a greater reservation for other backward classes (OBCs), had received significant backlash from the powerful Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, including legislators from the respective castes within the party such as MB Patil and Laxmi Hebbalkar.
“It has been decided to clear the air over the earlier caste census with respect to its data accuracy and concerns of under-representation of certain communities. Data will be collected once again through door to door and online surveys. The entire process would be done in a very transparent manner,” Shivakumar said.
High command ’s concerns
The decision comes after the party’s high command expressed concerns over the social and political backlash caused by the earlier report. Congress’s central leadership including Rahul Gandhi has previously pointed to the Revanth Reddy led Telangana government’s socio-economic, education, employment, political, and caste (SEEEPC) survey, as a model for caste census.
Speaking after the meeting Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said in a press briefing, “Congress thinks that whatever the Karnataka government has done on the caste census has to be agreed to in principle. But there are some apprehensions by some sections about the data. The Congress has suggested that the Karnataka government re-enumerate within a stipulated time.”
Meanwhile, CM Siddaramaiah said the government would accept the current report in principle before ordering the new report. He also added that the new survey would be completed in 90 days.
(Report filed By BL Intern Rohan Das)
Published on June 10, 2025
