Karnataka begins caste census; Bengaluru rollout may see slight delay

The cabinet approved a fresh survey in June. REPRESENTATION PIC

Social and Educational Survey, popularly known as the ‘caste census' in Karnataka, began on Monday, though the exercise may be delayed by a day or two in the Greater Bengaluru area in order to impart training and ensure necessary preparations, officials said.

The survey by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes that will go on till October 7, will see as many as 1.75 lakh enumerators, mostly government school teachers, covering around 7 crore people in approximately 2 crore households across the state. The survey, at an estimated cost of Rs 420 crore, will be conducted "scientifically," with a 60-question questionnaire prepared for the exercise, according to officials.

Meanwhile, amid criticism and objections from various sections, including within the ruling Congress, regarding the castes list prepared for the survey, containing a number of castes with dual identities - having both Christian and Hindu caste names - like ‘Kuruba Christian', ‘Brahmin Christian', ‘Vokkaliga Christian' among others, the commission said, the names of these castes will be "masked", but not removed.

Backward Classes Commission's Chairman Madhusudan R Naik addressed concerns like the KYC difficulties that may be faced and said that an app has been introduced to have face recognition, and it will possibly bring down the concerns with regard to authentication of Aadhaar.

Naik also said, at the request of the administrative authorities of Greater Bengaluru, there may be a delay by a day or two for the survey in the city. "But our programme is there for the entire period of September 22 to October 7."

The Karnataka Cabinet on June 12 approved a fresh survey, effectively nullifying the 2015 exercise, citing Section 11(1) of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1995, which mandates a revision of the state backward classes list.

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