Karnataka bets big on fresh caste survey

After years of political wrangling and controversy over the earlier caste survey, the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka has announced a fresh exercise. The new Social and Educational Survey will be conducted across the state between September 22 and October 7. The drive will cost around Rs 420 crore and is scheduled to deliver its report by December-end.

The 2015 caste survey, commissioned by the previous Congress government under Siddaramaiah at a cost of Rs 165 crore, had never been officially accepted or released. The chief minister said on Friday that the findings of that exercise were not satisfactory and therefore the government had decided to begin afresh. This time, the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission, chaired by Madhusudan Naik, will lead the survey. Nearly 1.85 lakh government school teachers will be deployed for the enumeration during the Dasara break.

The BJP terming it a wasteful exercise. Senior party leader CT Ravi told ET, “The people of the state don’t trust this government to do any better job. It is just an eyewash to cover its failures.”