Latest news with #KarnatakaStateCommissionforBackwardClasses
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Fresh caste census runs into delays
Bengaluru: The govt's decision to conduct the socio-educational survey afresh, commonly referred to as a caste census, has stumbled at the starting line. Despite cabinet approval on June 12 and a 90-day deadline, the process is yet to take off, with internal political wrangling and procedural bottlenecks holding it back. A key issue is the delay in constituting the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes (BC commission), the statutory body responsible for overseeing the exercise. Though the govt was expected to issue a notification by June 19, no progress has been made and the appointment of five commission members remains unresolved. The delay is largely due to differences within the governing Congress over selection of members. Officials said a shortlist has been sent to chief minister Siddaramaiah, but competing camps within the party are lobbying hard for their nominees. "The CM's task is cut out given the pressure being mounted by various groups. He is expected to look into appointments once he returns from New Delhi," said an official familiar with the process. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru The composition of the commission has become politically sensitive following criticism of the previous caste census conducted under H Kantharaj and later revised by K Jayaprakash Hegde. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Several communities, including Lingayats, Kodavas, Bunts, Balijas, and Idigas, have alleged that their population figures were under-reported. These groups are now demanding representation in the new commission to ensure their concerns are addressed. "The process of appointing members to the BC commission is in the final stage," said BC welfare minister Shivaraj Tangadagi. "The composition will be balanced. Since we want to consider views being aired from all communities and address their concerns, we will finalise the names after consulting the chief minister." However, the delay has meant Madhusudan R Naik, who was appointed chairman of the BC Commission in Jan, has been unable to begin work. "We are preparing the ground and studying previous reports and models of similar exercises. We will have meetings and consultations with stakeholders, once members are appointed. The report will be prepared as soon as possible," Naik said. Meanwhile, the govt is facing staffing hurdles. With teachers already deployed for the Justice Nagamohan Das commission's ongoing survey on Scheduled Castes, there is resistance to using them again. Education minister Madhu Bangarappa has suggested outsourcing the work to private agencies, but legal and credibility concerns remain. Political opposition is also mounting from within Ahinda groups who want the govt to act on the recommendations of the Hegde report instead of starting afresh. "We were told that the govt has neither rejected nor accepted the Kantharaj report," said K Ramachandrappa, president, Shoshitha Vargagala Maha Okkuta. "We will launch a state-wide agitation from next week, urging the govt to publicise that report. Let there be a debate about it before the govt embarks on a fresh caste census. "
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Four nominated for Karnataka Backward Classes panel
The government has started preparations for a new socio-educational survey with chief minister Siddaramaiah nominating four new members to the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes. The government has started preparations for a new socio-educational survey with chief minister Siddaramaiah nominating four new members to the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes. (PTI) 'Four new members have been appointed to the commission — former IGP K Arkesh from Channapatna, advocate Shivanna Gowda from Mysuru, Mangaluru-based assistant professor B Sumana, and CM Kundagol, a retired principal from Dharwad. With these additions, the panel is now fully operational under the leadership of Madhusudhan R Naik, a former advocate-general who was appointed as the chairman in January,' said a senior official familiar with the development. It was communicated to the commission on Sunday. 'The commission is expected to hold discussions soon and advise the government on how to proceed with the proposed enumeration of the population,' the official said. The official further said that the recommendations have been communicated to the commission, however, the official orders are yet to be issued. While the commission may be entrusted with the task, officials have indicated the possibility of setting up a new committee for the purpose. Siddaramaiah has also asked his ministers to share their suggestions before finalising modalities. Unlike the 2015 exercise, which relied heavily on schoolteachers and suffered delays, the upcoming survey will likely lean on digital tools to speed up data collection, the official quote above said. With schools now in session, the government is considering deploying teachers after class hours and paying them for their time, said another official. However, the revival of socio-educational survey efforts has reignited resistance from powerful communities, including Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats, who previously slammed the Kantharaju report as flawed and accused it of undercounting their populations. On Sunday, the Samajika Nyaya Jagruthi Vedike warned the state against rushing into another survey. At a roundtable in Bengaluru, members questioned the need for a state-specific count when the Union government has already committed to a caste-based enumeration in the upcoming decadal census. 'The Karnataka government has already wasted 10 years in the name of caste census. A resolution was taken in the meeting to urge the government not to waste people's tax money and time to conduct another caste census,' said Vishnukant Chatapalli, a representative of the forum. He further said, 'The central government will conduct a caste census along with the population census. The caste census will include social and educational aspects as well as cultural details. The Centre will spend ₹ 13,000 crore for this.' Arguing that only Union-collected data would have constitutional legitimacy, the forum demanded the state to release the Kantharaju report to the public and refrain from initiating a parallel process. 'If the state government does not stop conducting separate caste censuses, legal action should be taken,' said Chatapalli. Attacking the government, BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar questioned the chief minister's shifting position on implementing the Hegde report. 'No matter how much pressure comes, we will not accept Jayaprakash Hegde's report. Chief minister Siddaramaiah has repeatedly said that we will implement the recommendations of that report. But why did he change his stance after going to Delhi and returning?' he asked. 'Whether the government accepts or implements the report is a secondary issue. First, it should be released for public awareness.' Responding to these criticisms, Congress MLA Yathindra, Siddaramaiah's son, blamed the previous governments for the delay in caste enumeration. 'Had those administrations responded appropriately and moved forward with the earlier report, we wouldn't be in a position where another survey is necessary,' he said, referring to the BJP and JD(S) governments' inaction on the 2015 report.
Indian Express
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Who stopped you from implementing the caste census report?': H D Kumaraswamy asks Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy Sunday slammed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah following the latter's allegations that Kumaraswamy had stalled the implementation of the Social and Educational Survey Report – popularly known as caste census – compiled by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes during his tenure as chief minister. Speaking at the Janata Dal (Secular) state headquarters in Bengaluru, after flagging off the party's state tour and membership campaign under Nikhil Kumaraswamy, president of the JD(S) youth wing, the Union Minister asked why the Karnataka government had not accepted its report during its two-year tenure. The state government has recently decided to scrap the Survey carried out in 2015 and go for a fresh survey of various castes in the state. 'The CM has falsely claimed that I threatened the then-minister C Puttarangashetty not to accept the caste census report,' Kumaraswamy said, countering Siddaramaiah's remarks made last Thursday. The CM had alleged that though the Survey report was ready during Kumaraswamy's tenure as CM, he had decided against accepting the report. 'It's been two years since you came to power. Who has stopped you from implementing the caste census? Aren't you the so-called champion of backward classes? Then why haven't you implemented it?' he asked. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP and JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda responded to the contention that the JD(S) as a regional party would not survive after him. The former prime minister said the 'party has survived and will survive after I am gone'. Reacting to the loss of the party in the Channapatna bypoll last year, Deve Gowda said, 'One defeat cannot shake us. We will rise again, and the party has that strength.' Responding to accusations that the JD(S) was a family-run party, Deve Gowda maintained that it was a party of its workers. 'Many great leaders have held office through this party, and many are still serving. Some have held positions and left, but the party has endured. Between two national parties, JD(S) has remained a strong regional force,' he said.
Indian Express
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
After high command diktat, Karnataka government junks caste census report, to go for fresh survey
Karnataka's cabinet on Thursday decided to conduct a fresh socio-educational survey of various castes in the state and not to implement the recommendations of the previous survey–popularly called the caste census–conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes. The decision came after the Congress high command met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday, after which the party leadership asked Siddaramaiah to go for a 're-enumeration' of the populations of the different castes in the state. The diktat from the high command came when the chief minister was on the verge of having his cabinet clear the recommendations of the survey report in a special cabinet meeting held on Thursday. Siddaramaiah, who announced the decision at a news conference, referred to a provision under the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Act to defend the fresh survey. As per Section 11, Clause 1 of the Act, the findings of the Socio-economic and Education Survey carried out in 2015 would be invalid as 10 years had passed since then. 'The State Government may at any time, and shall, at the expiration of ten years from the coming into force of this Act and every succeeding period of ten years thereafter, undertake revision of the lists with a view to excluding from such lists those classes who have ceased to be backward classes or for including in such lists, new backward classes,' the clause reads. 'The provision is very clear,' Siddaramaiah said, adding '…the cabinet, considering these clauses, has decided that since the commission conducted the survey 10 years ago, we will ask the commission to go for a fresh survey.' Responding to queries, the chief minister said the modalities of the exercise would be announced soon but the survey would be completed in a 90-day time frame. The recommendations of the survey report–such as shifting Kurubas from Category 2A (Other Backward Classes) to Category 1 (Backward Castes), enhancing reservation for Muslims under the 2B category from four to eight per cent, enhancing reservation for the 3A and 3B categories, which include the dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities, from existing four and five per cent to seven and eight per cent, respectively–will now be scrapped. The re-survey is considered a setback for the chief minister, who had along with senior ministers such as Satish Jarkiholi and H C Mahadevappa pushed for the implementation of the survey. At the same time, the dominant Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities and their leaders had cast apprehensions on the survey and publicly opposed its findings. Sources say that Shivakumar had opposed the report in the cabinet meeting held on June 5 and flew to Delhi earlier this week seeking the intervention of the high command. 'Both Vokkaligas and Lingayats teaming up due to the report would not augur well for the party in the next elections,' an aide close to Shivakumar said, claiming it to be the reason for the Vokkaliga leader to lobby against the report. Apart from that, prominent Lingayat leaders too are learnt to have complained to the Congress high command about the 'complications' the report would create if its recommendations were to be implemented. Siddaramaiah commissioned the survey in 2015 during his first tenure as chief minister and it was accepted by the state cabinet in April this caste re-survey, Karnataka caste census, re-enumeration of castes, Siddaramaiah, Vokkaliga, Lingayat, D K Shivakumar
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
After nudge by high command, Cabinet gives nod for fresh survey of castes
Nudged by the Congress high command, which had been petitioned by the politically-dominant Vokkaliga and Veerashaiva-Lingayat communities against accepting the Socio-Economic and Education Survey (caste census) report, the Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday gave its nod for a fresh survey. The Congress high command, on Tuesday, suggested to the Karnataka government to hold re-enumeration of caste data within a stipulated time to address concerns of some communities who complained of being 'left out.' With the Cabinet decision, the caste census of 2015 — which had been conducted for the first time during the colonial times in 1931 — is no longer valid. Reason for re-survey Saying that the lapse of 10 years since the conduct of the survey, by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes headed by H. Kantharaj in 2015, as the reason for re-survey, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in the post-Cabinet briefing, told presspersons: 'As per the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1995, a fresh survey is mandated every 10 years. A lot of changes would have taken place in this last 10 years in the social and educational realm.' He also said that the Cabinet had, in principle, agreed to the survey report submitted by Mr. Hegde. When Mr. Siddaramaiah's response was sought on if the State government was under pressure from the high command, the Chief Minister said: 'The process was on. The high command has also advised for a new survey. We are not doing it just because they asked us to do a new survey. We have not succumbed to the pressure of the high command.' Asked why the State Cabinet had accepted the report in April, 2025, when it was nearly 10 years (survey conducted between April 11-2015 and 30 May, 2015), the Chief Minister said: 'It was only after discussions started that we realised that by law and Constitutional provisions it has to be done after a lapse of 10 years. As per Section 11 of the Act, any report after 10 years is not tenable. The provisions in the Act is clear that a new survey has to be conducted every 10 years after which a new list of backward classes could be drawn by either deleting existing castes or adding new castes.' It was also pointed out to the Chief Minister that when Mr. Hegde submitted his report, the survey had not completed 10 years. Within 90 days Stating that the fresh survey work would be completed 'within 90 days of notifying', he said that members to the backward classes commission will be appointed in the 'next two to three days'. Currently, barring chairman Madhusudan R. Naik, who was appointed in February 2025, posts of nominated members are vacant. Government appoints five members to the commission besides the chairman. It may be mentioned here that when the first Siddaramaiah-led government conducted the first survey in 2015 at a cost of ₹165 crore, Karnataka was the first State in the country to undertake the survey after the national exercise conducted by the British in 1931. Bihar and Telangana have done the survey after Karnataka completed the survey.
