Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced that the state’s Social and Educational Survey, popularly known as the caste census, will be carried out between September 22 and October 7 at an estimated cost of ₹420 crore.
The survey will be conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, led by chairperson Madhusudhan R Naik, and will use a 60-question questionnaire to gather data on the social and educational status of the state’s 7 crore people, news agency PTI reported.
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The commission has been directed to complete the work quickly and submit its report by December.
Siddaramaiah said the exercise would be carried out “scientifically.” To ensure wide coverage, about 1.75 lakh government school teachers will be deployed during the Dasara holidays. Each teacher, after training, will survey 120–150 households in a block and receive remuneration of up to ₹20,000, which makes up the bulk of the survey cost, around ₹325 crore.
The chief minister noted that the previous survey conducted in 2015 had cost ₹165.51 crore but was discarded after criticism. This time, he appealed to citizens to participate actively, saying:
{{/usCountry}}The chief minister noted that the previous survey conducted in 2015 had cost ₹165.51 crore but was discarded after criticism. This time, he appealed to citizens to participate actively, saying:
{{/usCountry}}“This survey is a crucial step towards achieving social justice and ensuring equal opportunities for all. I urge everyone to answer truthfully and to the best of their knowledge.”
Survey process and technology
Asha workers will visit households in advance to provide application forms.
Every household will be geo-tagged using electricity meter numbers and assigned a Unique Household ID (UHID). This process has already been completed for 1.55 lakh houses.
Even households without electricity connections will be covered to ensure no one is left out.
Data collected will link ration cards and Aadhaar details with mobile numbers.
A helpline (8050770004) and online participation options will be available for those absent during the survey or facing grievances.
The Karnataka Cabinet approved the fresh survey on June 12, effectively nullifying the 2015 exercise, citing Section 11(1) of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1995, which requires revision of the backward classes list every 10 years.
The 2015 survey had faced sharp opposition, especially from the state’s dominant communities, Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats, who called it “unscientific.” Even within the Congress, there had been dissent against the earlier exercise.
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