In Bengaluru, a High Court bench is diving into a heated debate over Karnataka’s plans for a massive socio-economic and academic survey—often called the caste census. On Tuesday, Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Joshi heard arguments from groups pushing for a temporary halt to the effort, which aims to gather data on seven crore people across the state.
The court pressed the Karnataka government for clear answers on how it plans to pull off such a huge caste-based survey. They wrapped up the session by postponing the case until Wednesday.
Community organizations like the Akhila Bharata Brahmana Mahasabha and Vokkaliga Mahasabha filed the public interest litigation (PIL) to block the survey. They’re challenging the work of the Backward Classes Commission, set up by the Congress-led state government.
During the hearing, the judges asked senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the government, to explain the key differences between a full census and this kind of survey. Singhvi fired back, stressing that this isn’t a traditional caste census but a targeted socio-economic and academic survey designed to shape better policies.
He argued that the survey is crucial for building social welfare programs and making smart decisions for backward classes. Without fresh data, governments can’t create effective policies, Singhvi said. He warned that a court stay would set a dangerous precedent and cause lasting harm, noting no such block has ever happened before.
Singhvi pushed back hard against claims that only the central government can handle these surveys. He pointed out that Karnataka has run similar efforts in the past through commissions like Havanuru and Venkataswamy, and recent constitutional changes give states the green light to do their own. Limiting states would weaken India’s federal system, he added.
The lawyer made it clear: Governments can’t just guess when identifying backward classes—they need a full survey. “You can’t ignore backward classes from ivory towers,” Singhvi remarked, urging action over waiting.
He brought up Bihar as a real-world example, where a caste census wrapped up successfully. Karnataka shouldn’t sit idle for a national one, he said, as that would hobble state governance. The state legislature has the power to move forward, and the results could affect everything from job appointments to promotions.
As the court weighs its options, sources say Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held off on a trip to Bihar to stay tuned for the judgment. He shifted his 5 p.m. flight to 7:30 p.m., highlighting just how crucial this caste survey battle is for the Karnataka government.
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