<p>Bengaluru: The Karnataka Backward Classes Commission on Tuesday informed the Karnataka High Court that collection of Aadhaar card details, as a part of the state-wide Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (caste- survey), is only for the purpose of identification. Senior advocate Prof. Ravivarma Kumar, appearing for the commission, also said that participation of citizens in the survey is voluntary.</p><p>The senior advocate said this when the court asked a pointed query on data protection concern expressed by the petitioners in a batch of PILs challenging the survey. The bench also said that there are penal consequences in a similar exercise under the Census Act. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Joshi deferred the hearing by a day on the plea seeking an interim order of stay on the survey.</p>.Karnataka High Court stays rule capping movie ticket price at Rs 200.<p>During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the state government, said that the 105th amendment to the Constitution has restored the power of the state governments and union territories to identify and list the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs). </p><p>On the prayer seeking interim stay, Singhvi said the apex court in 2023 had refused to stay Bihar government’s caste survey. “The power is not stayed but the exercise of the power is sought to be stayed (in the present petitions). There cannot be data without a survey,” Singhvi said.</p><p>He further said that the petitioners have mischaracterised the socio- education survey as a caste census. “The moment you equate data gathering to caste census you are stopping the entire power of the state. I cannot go and cherry pick. How on earth anybody gives rational advice without having the data,” Singhvi said, adding that it was the Union government which piloted and moved the 105th amendment, which came into effect from 2021, and that in the present petitions, the Union government is supporting the petitioners.</p><p>Earlier, senior advocates Prabhuling Navadgi and Jayakumar Patil, on behalf of the members of the Veerashaiva Mahasabha, submitted that the entire exercise is without competence and it is a camouflage and colourable exercise. “They want to have data of each caste for the political purpose,” Patil said.</p><p>Another senior advocate Ashok Haranhalli, for Vokkaliga Sangha, submitted that the Union government has already notified the census from March 1, 2027, in which enumeration of castes would also take place. Senior advocate Vivek Subba Reddy, appearing for former MLA KN Subba Reddy and others, said sudden increase in the number of castes and sub castes, will create confusion. He cited examples of certain castes in the handbook such as Banajiga Christian, Barikar Christian, Bestaru Christian, Brahman Christian, Devanga Christian, etc. which do not even exist.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Karnataka Backward Classes Commission on Tuesday informed the Karnataka High Court that collection of Aadhaar card details, as a part of the state-wide Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (caste- survey), is only for the purpose of identification. Senior advocate Prof. Ravivarma Kumar, appearing for the commission, also said that participation of citizens in the survey is voluntary.</p><p>The senior advocate said this when the court asked a pointed query on data protection concern expressed by the petitioners in a batch of PILs challenging the survey. The bench also said that there are penal consequences in a similar exercise under the Census Act. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Joshi deferred the hearing by a day on the plea seeking an interim order of stay on the survey.</p>.Karnataka High Court stays rule capping movie ticket price at Rs 200.<p>During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the state government, said that the 105th amendment to the Constitution has restored the power of the state governments and union territories to identify and list the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs). </p><p>On the prayer seeking interim stay, Singhvi said the apex court in 2023 had refused to stay Bihar government’s caste survey. “The power is not stayed but the exercise of the power is sought to be stayed (in the present petitions). There cannot be data without a survey,” Singhvi said.</p><p>He further said that the petitioners have mischaracterised the socio- education survey as a caste census. “The moment you equate data gathering to caste census you are stopping the entire power of the state. I cannot go and cherry pick. How on earth anybody gives rational advice without having the data,” Singhvi said, adding that it was the Union government which piloted and moved the 105th amendment, which came into effect from 2021, and that in the present petitions, the Union government is supporting the petitioners.</p><p>Earlier, senior advocates Prabhuling Navadgi and Jayakumar Patil, on behalf of the members of the Veerashaiva Mahasabha, submitted that the entire exercise is without competence and it is a camouflage and colourable exercise. “They want to have data of each caste for the political purpose,” Patil said.</p><p>Another senior advocate Ashok Haranhalli, for Vokkaliga Sangha, submitted that the Union government has already notified the census from March 1, 2027, in which enumeration of castes would also take place. Senior advocate Vivek Subba Reddy, appearing for former MLA KN Subba Reddy and others, said sudden increase in the number of castes and sub castes, will create confusion. He cited examples of certain castes in the handbook such as Banajiga Christian, Barikar Christian, Bestaru Christian, Brahman Christian, Devanga Christian, etc. which do not even exist.</p>