30-06-2025
SC survey: 91.84% of projected population enumerated
The survey to identify the Scheduled Caste (SC) population to provide internal reservation reached 91.84 % across the State by Monday evening. Of the estimated 1.16 crore projected population, the survey had identified 1.07 crore across the State.
After multiple extensions, Monday was the last day of the survey, which started on May 5. While there was a request from the Social Welfare Department to continue the survey to identify more Scheduled Caste families in Bengaluru, the commission headed by retired judge H.N. Nagamohan was not inclined to do so, sources said. Efforts to reach out to Mr. Nagamohan Das did not yield results by the time of going to the press.
The commission is also expected to submit its recommendations within in the next few weeks, the sources said, adding that analysis of data had already commenced.
Despite multiple extensions, the survey managed to cover just about 52% of the projected population in Bengaluru. Of the projected 13.62 lakh population of SCs in the city, the survey managed to identify 7.04 lakh by the end of Monday.
Over the last fortnight, as the survey did not make much headway in Bengaluru despite extensions, the officials have been visiting individual homes to ascertain whether they have been covered under the survey. 'Stickers are being stuck on walls of homes that have been covered already. If some homes are left out, enumerators are being asked to cover those homes. On an average just about 1,000 homes are being enumerated daily. The commission felt that there is no point in continuing with the survey,' the sources said.
The commission has been tasked by the government to recommend internal reservation to 101 Scheduled Castes within the broader 17% reservation meant for SCs.
Meanwhile, the survey has achieved more than the projected population in 11 districts going above the cent per cent mark. The BBMP area remained the lowest followed by Bengaluru Urban district at 80%. As many 18 districts have reported over 90% coverage, as per the data obtained from the commission.
Dalit activists groups, especially the Dalit (Left), it is learnt, have also become restive about the extensions being given to the survey by the government since fresh appointments have been held back. In Kalaburagi; a student organisation also staged a protest recently opposing the extensions and urging the commission to submit its recommendations at the earliest.
