No decision yet on Karnataka’s caste survey

Bengaluru

A special cabinet meeting was held in Karnataka on Thursday to discuss the Socio-Economic and Education Survey report, commonly known as the caste census. However, the meeting ended without any final decision, according to official sources.

Minister Ramalinga Reddy informed reporters that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asked all ministers to share their views either in writing or verbally before the next cabinet meeting.

The survey has drawn strong criticism from Karnataka’s two dominant communities — the Vokkaligas and the Veerashaiva-Lingayats — who have called it "unscientific". They are demanding that the current report be scrapped and a new survey conducted.

Apart from these communities, several others have also raised objections, including voices from within the ruling Congress party.

On the other hand, many leaders and organisations representing Dalits and OBCs are backing the report. They want the government to release the findings and go ahead with it, pointing out that around ₹160 crore of public money was spent on the survey.

With major disagreement between powerful caste groups and marginalised communities, the report has become a politically sensitive issue. The government now faces pressure from both sides — one demanding a fresh survey and the other pushing for the report’s implementation.