Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called a high-level review meeting to decide the fate of the state’s proposed caste-based socio-economic survey, after concerns surfaced from within his cabinet and several community groups.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar told reporters that a final decision would come only after Siddaramaiah’s discussions with ministers and officials. The government had earlier announced plans to conduct the fresh survey between September 22 and October 7, under the supervision of the State Commission for Backward Classes. Officials said the move was necessary because the earlier 2015 survey report was never formally accepted.
The stated goal of the exercise is to gather accurate social and educational data that can help shape welfare programs, budget allocations, and caste-based benefits. But the announcement has sparked fresh debates across Karnataka’s political and social spectrum.
Several ministers reportedly raised objections during cabinet discussions, pointing to sensitive caste classifications that could trigger controversy. Outside government, community groups including Lingayats, Bunts, Kurubas, and ST associations have voiced concerns about how their identities and demands will be represented in the survey.
The opposition BJP has attacked the exercise, calling it “politically motivated and impractical.” Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said it was impossible to conduct such a massive survey — with around 60 questions for nearly 1.5 crore households — within the proposed two-week timeline. He also argued the state has no constitutional power to conduct a “caste census.”
Congress leaders, however, insist it is not a caste census but a legally valid socio-economic study aimed at ensuring fairer distribution of welfare schemes. Siddaramaiah has maintained that the findings will be crucial for policy-making, but Friday’s meeting is expected to decide whether the survey will go ahead as planned, be revised, or postponed.
