‘If we add claims of all communities, I wonder what the State’s population would be’

K. Jayaprakash Hegde, former chairman of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, submitted the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (caste census) report to the State government in 2024. The report, now being debated in the Cabinet, has created a storm in Karnataka politics over the last week.

K. Jayaprakash Hegde, former chairman of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, submitted the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (caste census) report to the State government in 2024. The report, now being debated in the Cabinet, has created a storm in Karnataka politics over the last week. The Hindu spoke to him about the issues being debated around the contentious report.

Edited excerpts:

The survey was conducted by over 1.3 lakh teachers of the State, overseen by the government machinery. There was a pro forma with 56 questions to collect socio, economic and educational details of each family, including their caste. These pro formas are still with the district administrations, including the signatures of the persons interviewed. Answers to 56 questions, with the signatures cannot be manufactured by teachers. This voluminous data was digitised by Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and ratified by Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. I don’t understand how it can be called unscientific. 

It is true that we have not been able to cover every household. The projected population of the State in 2015 was 6.35 crore and we have covered over 6 crore, which is around 95% of the State’s population. It is a very good survey by any objective yardstick. Moreover, even among those 30 lakh-plus population not included in the survey, there is no way only some community households can be left out, when the survey itself is a decentralised activity by 1.3 lakh government teachers from all communities and regions. 

Every community seems to be inflating their numbers. If the claims of all the communities are considered, I wonder what the State’s population would be. Meanwhile, the government still has the option to get the survey updated, if it feels it needs to. 

But in the case of Veerashaiva-Lingayats, some members of their sub castes like Ganiga Lingayats, Banajiga Lingayats and Sadara Lingayats may have identified as belonging to their equivalent communities in the larger Hindus society to claim reservation under Category 2A. I don’t deny this. But the survey cannot be faulted for this. 

Recently, even the Supreme Court has said creamy layer should be applied to all categories of reservation. This will prevent the same sections within a community from getting benefits of reservation over generations. It is a progressive step to ensure better distribution of reservation benefits.