Union Govt Says Karnataka Caste Enumeration is 'Census Cloaked as Survey'
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New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government has stated that the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (caste survey) conducted by the Congress government in Karnataka is a “census cloaked as a survey.”
This submission was made by the Union government on Wednesday (September 24) before the Karnataka high court, where a division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Joshi was hearing the petitions challenging the Karnataka government’s caste survey.
Additional solicitor general (ASG) Arvind Kamath, who was appearing for the Union government, submitted that only a census conducted by the Union government provides secure and legitimate data processing, reported Deccan Herald.
The petitions against the Karnataka government’s caste survey have been filed by Rajya Vokkaliga Sangha and members of Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Lingayata Mahasabha seeking an interim stay on the enumeration process, currently underway across the state.
ASG Kamath submitted that the Union government has already notified the commencement of census, single authoritative census under the Census Act, which also entails enumeration of castes.
Kamath said that while questions in the census are issued by gazette notification, no such mandate exists in a state survey.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the Karnataka government said that a state survey cannot be stayed without pointing out any flaws in its design.
Singhvi added that in the Puttaswamy judgment, the Supreme Court had recognised the state government’s authority to collect data for welfare purposes.
The division bench also asked the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission about the basis on which the number of castes and classification of castes was made.
Senior advocate Prof Ravivarma Kumar who was representing the commission, said that the revision in the caste list was needed after receiving representations that certain castes were left out in the previous survey and hence the list was updated accordingly.
He added that in order to prevent duplication and also to exclude out-of-state residents, the houses and electricity boards are geo-tagged and the Aadhaar detail is used only to verify the name of the householder.
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