Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday confirmed that the state cabinet will deliberate on the re-survey of the caste census during a special meeting, following growing concerns from multiple communities regarding missing or inaccurate data.
“Several communities have raised issues — some claim their numbers are underreported, others say they’ve been left out entirely,” Parameshwara told reporters. “We will review these concerns in the cabinet meeting today and decide whether it needs to be taken up in the upcoming session. The party high command has also advised us to reassess the situation.”
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar defended the government’s decision to re-conduct the survey, criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for opposing both the original and revised census efforts.
“The BJP earlier rejected the caste census citing data authenticity issues. Now that we are attempting to correct those issues, they are still opposing it,” Shivakumar said. “We are not discarding the previous survey — just improving it to ensure no community feels excluded.”
Asked whether the re-survey would be conducted more scientifically, Shivakumar stated that the cabinet would decide on the methodology. “The earlier census was conducted via door-to-door visits, but many people were hesitant to disclose their caste. Communities like the Lambanis, Jains, and Besthas have approached me with their concerns. We are taking their feedback seriously.”
He added that national Congress leaders, including the AICC President, have provided suggestions, which will also guide the decision-making process.
The caste census, formally titled the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey, has already been completed and submitted to the cabinet by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes. If released, it would mark Karnataka as the second Congress-ruled state after Telangana to publish such a report. Telangana has already enacted 42% reservation for backward classes, based on its survey findings.
Alongside Bihar and Telangana, Karnataka is one of the few states to have undertaken a caste-based census in recent years — a politically significant move that has sparked debates across party lines on issues of representation and reservation.
