‘Committed to internal reservation among Scheduled Castes’: CM Siddaramaiah on caste census

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday spoke about the census of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and stated that a one-man committee has been constituted. The committee will give a report and recommendations, based on which the Cabinet will decide.

Siddaramaiah further said that they are committed to internal reservations among Scheduled Castes. Speaking to mediapersons, Siddaramaiah said, “…To give empirical data, we constituted a one-man committee, it will give the report and recommendations based on which the Cabinet will decide. We are committed to internal reservations among Scheduled Castes”.

Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah said that the state will conduct a census of Scheduled Castes (SCs) from May 5 to 17 and collect detailed population data of all SC sub-castes in the state. The state government has formed a single-member commission, headed by retired High Court judge, Justice Nagamohan Das, to gather empirical data on the 101 castes within the Scheduled Castes category.

Siddaramaiah said, “We have started a caste-wise census of Scheduled Castes today. Justice Nagamohan Das is leading the commission to provide an accurate report for internal reservation. There are 101 castes listed under Scheduled Castes in Karnataka, including sub-groups like Left and Right Hand, Lamani, Korama, and Koracha. We need clear data on the population of each group.”

He added that previous reports, like the one by the Sadashiva Commission, used outdated data from the 2011 Census, which lacked clarity on the sub-caste distribution. “Some people simply wrote SC in the forms, but didn’t specify whether they belonged to the Left or Right-Hand groups. For example, Adi Dravida and Adi Karnataka have been listed both ways. This confusion makes it hard to implement internal reservations fairly”.

The Chief Minister explained that after a Supreme Court ruling on August 1, 2024, states have been empowered to make internal reservations among SCs. Based on that, the state has acted to collect fresh, accurate, and detailed data. “To ensure the data is accurate, we’ve trained teachers and enumerators. Around 65,000 teachers are involved in door-to-door surveys,” he said. Supervisors will oversee every 10 to 12 enumerators to ensure quality and consistency.

Additionally, from May 19 to May 20, special camps will be held for those who missed the door-to-door survey. People can also self-declare their caste details online until May 23. “This data will help us ensure fair internal reservation among Scheduled Castes, based on real population figures”, the Chief Minister said. (ANI)