Karnataka caste survey: Geo-tagging of electricity meters from today

Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission will begin groundwork for the Social and Educational Survey, commonly referred to as the caste census, from Saturday with the geotagging of electricity meters.

This will be the second such exercise, coming a decade after the Kantharaj Commission conducted the first survey. The findings of that report were never made public, though they continue to influence political debate in the state.

Backward Classes Commission chairperson Madhusudan R Naik said the fresh survey will be carried out in a comprehensive manner to ensure accuracy. “The exercise must be conducted effectively and no household should be left out,” he emphasised.

In the first phase, surveyors will list households and carry out geospatial mapping. All dwellings with electricity connections will be identified based on their RR (revenue register) meters, which will serve as the foundation for the enumeration.