Bengaluru, September 23, 2025 – In a high-stakes legal showdown that could reshape social policy and electoral dynamics in India's southern powerhouse, the Karnataka High Court is poised to hear urgent pleas seeking an immediate stay on the state government's ambitious Socio-Economic and Educational Survey – a door-to-door exercise critics deride as an unauthorized "caste census." The division bench, led by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Joshi, will take up the matter at 2:30 p.m. today, with a decision on interim relief potentially emerging by day's end.
The survey, greenlit by a government order on August 13, 2025, under the oversight of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission, kicked off on Monday amid widespread controversy. Enlisting 1.75 lakh enumerators – largely government school teachers – the initiative aims to canvas approximately 7 crore residents across 2 crore households by October 7. Proponents hail it as a vital tool for updating data on social, educational, and economic disparities to refine affirmative action policies. Detractors, however, slam it as a politically motivated overreach, infringing on privacy rights and encroaching on the Union government's exclusive domain over censuses.
Roots of the Rift: A Timeline of Tension
The flashpoint traces back to a 2014 survey under the BJP-led government, whose findings – finalized by a commission headed by then-BJP member Jayaprakash Hegde – languished amid legal wrangles and political shifts. Revived under the Congress regime of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the current iteration expands the caste tally from 1,400 to 1,561 sub-groups, a move petitioners call "arbitrary and inflated" to favor dominant communities like Lingayats and Vokkaligas.
Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed by outfits such as Rajya Vokkaliga Sangha, Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Maha Sabha, and individuals like advocate Abhishek Kumar, argue the exercise violates Article 246 of the Constitution and the Census Act, 1948, which vests census authority solely with the Centre (Entry 69, Union List). They invoke the Supreme Court's 2018 Puttaswamy judgment on privacy, decrying the survey's reliance on electricity meters, geo-tagging, and linkages to Aadhaar, ration cards, and phone numbers as invasive and prone to data misuse. "This isn't a mere survey; it's a de facto caste census, riddled with incompetence and potential for social discord," contended senior advocate Prabhuling K. Navadgi during preliminary arguments last week.
The state counters that it's a "social and economic survey" – not a census – empowered by the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008, and precedents like the Indra Sawhney case (1992), which affirm states' rights to gather backwardness data. Counsel for the Backward Classes Commission noted that survey forms have already reached nearly two crore homes, urging the court against a "fait accompli" disruption. Chief Justice Bakhru, in an earlier observation, hinted at the petitioners' case having "merit," setting the stage for today's pivotal interim application.
Political Powder Keg: BJP Slams "Divisive" Congress Ploy
The courtroom drama spills into the political arena, amplifying Karnataka's perennial caste fault lines ahead of local polls. State BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra branded the survey a "misadventure" and "unfortunate bid to divide Hindu society," accusing Siddaramaiah of prioritizing caste calculus over development. "The CM lacks moral authority – this is condemnable overreach without constitutional powers," Vijayendra thundered on Monday, vowing judicial scrutiny would expose the ploy.
Congress leaders fired back, with Siddaramaiah dismissing BJP hypocrisy: "They conducted the 2014 survey; now they cry foul. This is about equity, not division." Allies like the JD(S) echo concerns over dominant caste gains, while civil society groups warn of fiscal folly – estimating costs at hundreds of crores – and risks to social harmony in a state where caste quotas already fuel 70% of reservation battles.
Echoes of Bihar's 2023 caste survey, upheld by the Patna High Court but contested in the Supreme Court (which refused a stay, deeming it policy domain), loom large. There, the apex court emphasized data transparency over blanket halts, a lens likely to influence Karnataka's bench. Yet, unlike Bihar's statewide rollout, Karnataka's survey – blending caste with broader metrics – treads murkier waters, potentially testing federal boundaries anew.
What's at Stake?
A stay could halt the enumerators mid-stride, stranding reams of data and forcing a rethink on quota revisions eyed for the 2026 assembly polls. No injunction might propel the exercise forward, arming the government with fresh ammunition for OBC expansions but inviting Supreme Court appeals. As enumerators fan out in Bengaluru's bustling lanes and rural hamlets, today's verdict will not just tally castes – it could recalibrate power in a state where identity is the ultimate ballot box.
The High Court has issued notices to the Union government, state authorities, and the Registrar General of India, signaling deeper federal probes ahead. For now, all eyes – and ballots – are on this unfolding battle, where numbers could rewrite narratives of equity and exclusion.
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