Before likely exit, CM Siddaramaiah clears Karnataka caste census hurdle

BENGALURU: In a politically significant move, Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes submitted its long-delayed socio educational survey report, popularly known as the caste census, to the govt after a nudge from chief minister Siddaramaiah.

Commission chairman K Madhusudhan and backward classes welfare minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, handed the report — comprising more than 300 pages in two sealed envelopes — to Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha Thursday.

The move is being seen as a major message from Siddaramaiah, who has faced criticism for not pushing the survey despite crores being spent on the exercise across his two tenures as CM. Critics had alleged successive govts avoided acting on the first report fearing a backlash from Lingayats and Vokkaligas, politically dominant communities.

With the revised report now formally submitted, the focus shifts to the next CM and the cabinet, which will have to decide on implementing its recommendations.

Sources say the commission was keen on submitting the report while Siddaramaiah remained CM, and had convened a meeting of all members earlier in the day to finalise the draft. The meeting began around 11.30am.

But Madhusudhan denied any political urgency behind advancing the meeting, insisting it was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was advanced since Friday is a govt holiday and some members had expressed difficulty attending on Saturday.

He refused to disclose details of the findings, only saying, “We have prepared and submitted the report honestly and hope that the govt will accept it soon.”

Tangadagi told TOI the govt had accepted the report and would take a decision on implementation at the next cabinet meeting.

The fresh survey was launched across Karnataka on Sept 22, 2025, to document social, economic, educational and political representation of various castes and communities. It has remained one of the most politically sensitive issues in the state.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Bakrid wishes, messages and eid 2026