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Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Karnataka to begin caste survey from September 22: CM Siddaramaiah
The state government will conduct a comprehensive socio-educational survey, or more popularly known as the caste survey, covering its entire 70 million population from September 22 to October 7, chief minister Siddaramaiah announced on Wednesday, positioning the exercise as a 'model for the entire country.' The Congress decided to conduct the new survey during a high-level meeting in New Delhi on June 10, responding to complaints from communities that claimed they were either excluded or underrepresented in the previous exercise. (PTI) The 15-day survey, proposed by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, aims to gather data on economic status, land ownership and social identity to serve as the foundation for the state's next budget and policy decisions. 'The main objective is to eliminate caste-based discrimination,' Siddaramaiah said during a preparatory meeting. 'A comprehensive survey must be conducted on the financial condition of every individual, including whether they own land. The report will be used as a basis during the preparation of the next budget.' The fresh survey addresses mounting criticism of the previous Socio-Economic and Educational Survey, with influential communities—particularly Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats—demanding the earlier report be scrapped due to alleged underrepresentation. The Congress decided to conduct the new survey during a high-level meeting in New Delhi on June 10, responding to complaints from communities that claimed they were either excluded or underrepresented in the previous exercise. 'Preparations such as training must begin right away. The survey must be carried out very effectively, and precautions should be taken to ensure that there are no grounds for complaints,' Siddaramaiah emphasised on Wednesday. 'It must be ensured that no one is excluded from this exercise.' Unlike the previous Kantharaj Commission survey, which used 54 questions and was conducted manually, the new exercise will use mobile applications and include additional components. Officials have been directed to study the methodology used in Telangana's similar survey. 'That commission had prepared 54 questions and conducted the survey manually. This time, we are looking into the inclusion of more components. The survey will be carried out using a mobile app,' the chief minister said. The massive undertaking will require 165,000 enumerators, including teachers and staff from various government departments. 'All departments must work in coordination to make this a success,' A high-level oversight committee will supervise implementation, with special planning for urban areas. 'A specific plan must be drawn up for conducting the survey successfully in the Bengaluru urban region,' he added. The chief minister stressed the need for scientific rigour and transparency: 'The survey must be scientific and transparent. A panel of experts should help finalise the questions to be asked.' The groundwork for Karnataka's caste census was laid during Siddaramaiah's initial tenure as chief minister through an extensive 2015 survey costing ₹162 crore. Although he announced acceptance of that report in June, its contents and release date remain undisclosed. Leaked data from the earlier survey indicated Scheduled Castes accounted for 19.5% of the state's population, followed by Muslims at 16%, Lingayats at 14% and Vokkaligas at 11%. Within the Other Backward Classes, the Kuruba community alone comprised 7% of Karnataka's population, contributing to the OBCs' overall representation of 20% in the state. Collectively, these groups—including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Muslims and Kurubas—formed a substantial 47.5% of the population, findings that could significantly impact the state's political landscape, according to federations of marginalised sections. The final report is expected by the end of October and will directly influence budget allocations and policy formulations for the state's diverse communities.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Fresh caste census to kick off on Sept 22, final report by Oct-end
1 2 Bengaluru: Karnataka will launch a fresh, comprehensive door-to-door socio-educational survey — popularly known as the caste census — from Sept 22 to Oct 7, covering the state's population of an estimated seven crore. The massive exercise will involve 1.6 lakh govt employees, including teachers and officials from several departments. The move comes months after the state cabinet decided to shelve the previous caste survey report submitted in Feb 2024 due to widespread discontent over alleged under-reported population figures of politically dominant communities like Lingayats and Vokkaligas. That report, initially prepared by the Kantharaj Commission in 2015 and later modified by a panel headed by K Jayaprakash Hegde, was deemed outdated. Chief minister Siddaramaiah Wednesday met with officials from Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes (BC Commission) and backward classes welfare department to finalise broad parameters. He said the enumeration must be completed by Oct, setting the stage for a fresh report before Nov. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru "We will carry out the survey expeditiously; we intend to submit the report by Nov," said Madhusudan R Naik, chairman, BC Commission. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 7 All-Inclusive Destinations That Accept Credit Card Rewards Liseer Learn More Undo "Preliminary work is underway, and we will begin preparatory exercises such as training surveyors once we prepare a roadmap and schedule." The new survey will include additional indicators such as economic status, political representation, landholding, and employment beyond the 54-question format used previously. "Addressing discrimination of castes is the main focus of the survey," Siddaramaiah said after the meeting. "It should be a model for the country. The next budget will be based on this survey." He said the exercise would be tech-driven this time with a mobile app being used for enumeration instead of manual formats. "The previous survey had 54 questions for respondents. We will have more questions this time. A technical committee will be set up to finalise the questions. The survey should be scientific and transparent," Siddaramaiah said. He also directed officials to set up a high-power committee to oversee operations in Bengaluru, where an earlier survey had lagged due to non-cooperation from people and staff shortages. Since teachers will be involved, the enumeration is scheduled during Dasara holidays to avoid disruption to schools. "Survey work should be transparent, and efforts should be made to ensure that no one is excluded," the CM said, urging officials to take precautions to avoid complaints. He also urged them to study the Telangana model of the 2024 SEEPC survey. GFX At a glance Dates: Sept 22 – Oct 7 (15 days) Population: 7 crore Enumerators: 1.6 lakh (including teachers) Method: App-based survey Data points: Caste, income, land, jobs, representation Report Deadline: By Oct-end (for 2026 Budget)
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Fresh Karnataka caste survey to begin on September 22
The second Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (popularly called caste census) by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes will be conducted from September 22 to October 7. The commission has been told to submit the final report with recommendations before the end of October. The commission has been told to study a similar survey conducted by the Telengana government. This comes amidst some misgivings expressed by experts over the conduct of a fresh survey of the entire population in a short time frame. Survey to cover 7 crore population of Karnataka The survey of the seven crore population of Karnataka will be done by 1.65 lakh enumerators over 15 days. Apart from teachers, employees from various departments of the government would be roped in for the exercise this time. The second survey comes after the government decided to keep aside the first survey conducted in 2015 by the commission headed by H. Kantharaj, the report of which was submitted by the commission headed by K. Jayaprakash Hegde in 2024. Following pressure from land-owning and politically dominant Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats, the government shied away from accepting the report and implementing its recommendations, but the official reason cited was that the survey is based on decade-old data, and a fresh survey was necessary. 'The commission has submitted a proposal to the government to conduct the survey. Addressing discrimination of castes is the main focus of the survey, which should become a model for the country,' Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said after chairing a meeting on July 23 to discuss modalities of the survey. The survey, he said, would be the basis for preparation of the next budget, and that the comprehensive survey would include economic conditions, including land and property holdings, of every person in Karnataka. 'The commission has been told to submit the report before October-end.' He said that precautions should be taken to prevent any scope for complaints. 'Survey work should be transparent, and efforts should be made to ensure that no one is excluded.' The commission should start training and other preparatory work, he added. Will use an app Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the survey would be conducted using an app while the previous survey by the Kantharaj Commission was done manually. 'The previous survey had 54 questions for respondents. We will have more questions this time. A technical committee will be set up to finalise the questions. The survey should be scientific and transparent.' He has directed the commission to have a high-power committee to monitor the survey work in Bengaluru where the previous survey lagged due to non-cooperation of people, and lack of manpower, among other reasons. Backward Classes Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, Commission Chairperson Madhusudan R. Naik and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajaneesh were among those present in the meeting.
NDTV
16-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"If There Was A Deal...": Lingayat Leader's Tacit Support For DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru: The Congress' Karnataka headache just won't go away. DK Shivakumar 's bid to force it into replacing Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister has roiled the ruling party for weeks now, fuelled by claims and veiled warnings from MLAs loyal to DKS. Those grumblings seemed to have been shut down, at least partially, after party troubleshooter Randeep Singh Surjewala's visit to Benglauru this month, during which he drew sulky ' don't want MLAs to bat for me ' and ' what option do I have ' statements from the Deputy Chief Minister. But the Congress now faces renewed pressure - this time from religious leaders from the Lingayat community - to give sack Siddaramaiah and replace the party veteran with DKS. Shaila Jagadguru, a Lingayat religious leader from Balehonnur in Chikkamagaluru district, referred to the 'deal' the Congress reportedly made with Siddaramaiah and DKS after the 2023 election - that each would rule for 2.5 years - and said the party should honour the agreement. "We don't have information on what kind of agreement was made during the formation of the government. Without knowing the details, it is not appropriate to comment. But, if there was an agreement, the party's high command should honour it accordingly," he said in Bagalkote. NDTV Explains | Siddaramaiah vs DKS Is Not New. What Happened In 2023? Sheila Jagadguru isn't the only religious figure from the Lingayat community to back Shivakumar, a fact his camp has interpreted as widespread support for his bid. Last week another prominent sect leader - Rajadeshikendra Shivacharya, who heads the Rambapuri math - openly endorsed Shivakumar in the chief ministerial squabble. "He should have got a higher position after the last election... may he get a higher position (soon)," he said. DKS has also been backed by the Vokkaligas, but that is not surprising given he is a member of that community. Support from the Lingayats, however, could be critical in winning this battle. The Vokkaliga and the Lingayats are the dominant communities in Karnataka. Back in 2018 the Lingayats were happy to back Siddaramaiah after his administration recognised the community as a religious minority. The community hailed the two-time Chief Minister for swift action on their demand, and some even backed him (and the Congress) in that year's election. NDTV Explains | That swing in support has been critical for the Congress; the Lingayats constitue about 15 per cent of Karnataka's population and have long been since as a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party. It was also key for Siddaramaiah since it gave him a buffer to combat DKS's overtures. But that support has drifted away over the years. In December the Lingayat Panchamsali community protesting over reservation were lathi-charged by the police, who then arrested several leaders, including sect head Basavajaya Mrityunjay Swami. Siddaramaiah was labelled an "anti-Lingayat" person by the community, which now seems to have shifted its support to his deputy. And how the Congress will read this key voter base's unhappiness - two years before the next election - could decide if DKS wins his dream job. Meanwhile, the BJP is looking on hopefully. If it can win back the Lingayat vote the party stands a good chance of defeating the Congress in 2028, even if the Vokkaligas continue to back DKS. The party's state unit chief BY Vijayendra, the son of former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, has played down the importance of Linagayat support for DKS, saying, "The people are not bothered if the Chief Minister is Siddaramaiah or DK Shivakumar. The issue is lack of development."
New Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
OBC Advisory Council meeting begins on July 15, boost for CM Siddaramaiah's morale
BENGALURU: Amid speculation over leadership change, the AICC Backward Classes Advisory Council meeting which Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is hosting here on Tuesday and Wednesday, is likely to boost his image as the OBC face of the party at the national level. Interestingly, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, apparently to identify himself with OBCs, had recently said that Vokkaligas and Lingayats are included in the OBC list at the Centre. The meeting will begin at the KPCC headquarters on Tuesday, and resume at a private hotel on the second day. It will discuss the caste census in the light of the Centre announcing that the national census would include caste, as LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has been vociferous about the caste census. A discussion on Article 164(1) of the Constitution, with reference to Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, is also part of the agenda. The meeting being held under his leadership is likely to boost Siddaramaiah's morale. A host of OBC leaders from across the country, Congress Working Committee (CWC) members and Pradesh Congress Committee presidents are expected to take part as special invitees. They include Tamradhwaj Sahu, Jagdish Thakore, Manickam Tagore, Girish Chodankar, Manikrao Thakre, Yashomati Thakur, Keshav Mahto Kamlesh, Devendra Yadav, Gaurav Gogoi, Jitu Patwari, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav and Madhu Gaud Yashki, among others. A host of OBC leaders from across the country, including former chief ministers Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, V Narayansamy and Dr M Veerappa Moily, senior leaders BK Hariprasad, Sachin Pilot and others are expected to take part. AICC OBC cell chief Dr Anil JaiHind is the convener of the Advisory Council and Jitendra Baghel is the secretary. The other members of the council, including Kamleshwar Patel, Gurdeep Singh Sappal, Srikant Jena, Ajay Kumar Lallu, Mahesh Kumar Goud, Amit Chavda, Arun Yadav, Ponnam Prabhakar, V Hanumantha Rao, S Jothimani, Adoor Prakash, Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar, Dhanendra Sahu, Subhashini Yadav and Hina Kaware, are also expected to participate.
