Siddaramaiah announces fresh Karnataka caste census – ₹420 cr survey to cover 7 cr people

The Chief Minister has greenlit a state-wide socio-economic and educational survey after 10 years, deploying 1.85 lakh teachers and using technology to ensure accuracy.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced that the state will conduct a fresh socio-economic and educational survey between September 22 and October 7, marking a decade since the last exercise. The CM stated that the caste census carried out in 2015 had not been formally accepted by the government, making a new and updated survey crucial to understand today’s social realities.

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The survey will encompass the state’s entire population of nearly 7 crore across 2 crore households. Each household will receive a Unique Household ID sticker, 1.55 crore of which have already been affixed. The questionnaire, consisting of 60 questions, will record data on the social, economic, political, and educational status of every family.

To execute this mammoth task, 1.85 lakh government school teachers will be deployed during the Dasara vacation. Each teacher will receive an honorarium of up to ₹20,000, bringing the total allocation for teachers’ remuneration to ₹325 crore. The government has earmarked ₹420 crore for the entire exercise, a significant jump from the ₹165 crore spent during the 2015 caste census.

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Technological safeguards will ensure greater accuracy and transparency. Each household will be geo-tagged using electricity meter numbers, and ration card and Aadhaar data will be linked to mobile numbers. For those unwilling to disclose caste details to enumerators, options have been created to submit details via a dedicated helpline (8050770004) or through an online portal.

CM Siddaramaiah urged citizens to cooperate fully. “Many religions and castes exist in society. There is diversity and inequality too. The Constitution says everyone should be equal and social justice needs to be done. Even decades after independence, inequality persists. This survey will provide the data needed to design effective welfare programmes for everyone,” he said.

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The Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, chaired by Madhusudan Naik, will conduct the survey scientifically and inclusively. The final report is expected to be submitted by December 2025 and is anticipated to play a major role in shaping the state’s welfare programmes and social justice policies.