Caste census is scientific; such surveys necessary to assess health of society: Former head of BC Commission Kantharaj

H. Kantharaj. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Shivamogga

Former chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes H. Kantharaj has said socio-economic surveys or censuses should be conducted regularly to assess how healthy the society is.

In a press conference in Shivamogga on Saturday (April 12, 2025), Mr. Kantharaj said a socio-economic survey conducted when he was head of the Commission was one such exercise to assess the health of the society. “The caste is a reality in India. Caste-based discrimination should be eradicated to achieve equality. The survey and census are essential to understand how caste has been strong in the society,” he said.

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He appreciated the State Cabinet for considering the survey report that he completed. “The State Cabinet has taken the report for consideration, and it has decided to discuss the same in the next meeting on April 17, 2025. I welcome this development. I am hopeful the State Government will fulfil the objective of the report. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is committed to social justice,” he stated.

Earlier, up to 1931, caste details were collected as part of the annual census. However, in recent decades a comprehensive caste census was not conducted. For the first time, the Karnataka Government completed the survey in 2015. The survey was comprehensive, and it covered all households in the State. “The enumerators visited door-to-door and also covered the homeless during the survey. Initially, the process was meant for 30 days. Later, it was extended by another 10 days to include the households that were left. The public were given the opportunity to consult senior officials if they were not enumerated,” he said.

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Mr. Kantharaj maintained that the survey was accurate and did try to cover the entire population. “Even after repeated efforts by the Ccommission, some families could have been left out. If houses were locked, there was no chance to cover such households. “This was expected in any survey,” the former chairperson said.

Further, reacting to allegations that the survey was not scientific, Mr. Kantharaj said the survey was conducted scientifically. The Commission studied the relevant court judgments and the previous reports of various commissions and also consulted experts before conducting the survey. There was no reason to call it unscientific.