Cabinet formally accepts 2015 Caste Survey for review

Bengaluru

The Karnataka Cabinet has accepted the much-debated Socio-Economic and Educational Survey, commonly called the caste census. The report will be discussed in a special cabinet meeting on April 17.

Backward Classes Welfare Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi said the survey, conducted in 2015 and finalized in February 2024, was submitted in a sealed cover and opened in Friday’s Cabinet meeting. The massive report has 50 volumes and will be shared with all ministers for review.

Without revealing the findings, Tangadagi said the survey was carried out scientifically. “In 2015, Karnataka’s population was estimated at 6.35 crore. The survey covered 5.98 crore people, about 94.17 percent,” he said. “Only 37 lakh citizens were left out.”

To ensure accuracy, the government involved 1.6 lakh officials and formed an expert panel with 54 survey criteria. BEL was hired to manage the data under a ₹43 crore contract, and the entire project cost ₹165 crore.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the April 17 meeting will focus on the report’s findings. On concerns about missing data, he said, “Even in the Census, people get left out. Coverage of 94% is very successful.”

While dominant Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities want a fresh count, other OBCs and SC/STs support the current survey. The Congress has promised action on caste census ahead of major elections, and party leader Rahul Gandhi is demanding a national-level survey. The report’s acceptance comes after CM Siddaramaiah’s recent meeting with Rahul Gandhi.