Caste census details to be made public in May

The outcome of the socio-economic survey, popularly known as caste census, will be made public in May, Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Anjaneya said the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission, under whose aegis the survey was conducted, will be submitting the census report along with its recommendations by the end of April.

While the data collection for the census was completed in June last year, the compilation process was delayed due to the model code of conduct which was in place for the various elections and the delay on the part of a few deputy commissioners in despatching information related to the survey, the minister said.

On reports in a section of social media that Dalits had emerged as the top group with a population of 1.08 crore, followed by Muslims (75 lakh), Lingayats (59 lakh) and Vokkaligas (49 lakh), Anjaneya said the contents of the survey were being kept confidential and would be known only after the details were submitted to the government.

“After the report is submitted to the government, it will be placed before the state Cabinet and later put in the public domain. However, the details of the SC/ST population in the state is already known as it is taken into account during the general census,” he said.

Karnataka Backward Classes Commission Chairman H Kantharaj said that the figures on caste details being circulated in social media are not authenticated. Anjaneya said the caste census would throw up the reality of the socio-economic status of the various communities in the state and whether the deprived were getting the benefits of reservation.
DH News Service