Siddaramaiah Launches Caste Census in Karnataka: Aims for Equity and Comprehensive Data

Karnataka’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has declared a 15-day caste census starting September 22, aimed at reducing caste disparities. The survey will gather data on social and educational aspects, with the report due by the end of October. This information will play a crucial role in shaping the state’s budget. The Chief Minister, during a preliminary meeting, highlighted that the census is designed to cover nearly seven crore people, as proposed by the Backward Classes Commission. The survey will also look into the economic status and land ownership of citizens, and the government seeks to create a model for the country. The decision to conduct a new survey was made after the previous one, conducted in 2015, was deemed invalid. This new survey is compliant with the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission Act, 1995. The upcoming census will be expanded using a mobile app for efficiency. An expert committee will finalize the questionnaire, replacing the previous manual survey which consisted of 54 questions. A high-level committee will oversee the process, and the state will draw lessons from a similar initiative in Telangana. The census will involve around 1.65 lakh enumerators from various departments.