Siddaramaiah government launches massive caste census in Karnataka

In the first such massive exercise, Karnataka government on Saturday set in motion the Social and Educational Survey, also known as caste census across the state.

Beginning Saturday about 1.33 lakh government staff, mostly school teachers from across the state, will undertake census work, which is said to be the first of its kind initiated by the state government post independence.

Conducted by the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission, the census intends to cover an estimated 1.31 crore families in the state, according to officials. Stating that Rs 116 crore has already been allocated for the census, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in his recent budget speech had said that Rs 73 crore will be allocated in 2015-16 to complete the survey.

The Karnataka High Court had on Friday refused to stay the survey and adjourned till July the hearing on the public interest litigation that questioned the legality of holding such census.

Flagging off the census in the city, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy requested citizens to give accurate information to all the 55 questions by the census staff during the 20-day exercise.

He said the census will help in gathering data about those who are still backward both educationally and socially, and will help the administration in framing programmes that is inclusive of all the sections.