Karnataka Launches Three Phase SC Sub-Caste Survey for Internal Reservation

The Karnataka government on Monday, 5 May, launched the Scheduled Castes sub survey to facilitate internal reservation.

Speaking with the media, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, said, “A single-member commission under the chairmanship of Nagmohan Das, has been formed and tasked with surveying the sub-castes within Scheduled Castes (SC) to facilitate internal reservation.”

In March, the commission had submitted an interim report to include empirical data of the 101 sub castes.

The chief minister further added, “According to Article 341, there are 101 sub-castes in the SC category, including Right, Left, Bhovi, Korama, Koracha, Lambani, and others.”

In 2012, the AJ Sadashiva Commission had submitted a report on internal reservation, recommending a sub-matrix within the reservation quota for Dalit left and Dalit right communities, Lambanis, Bhovis, Koracha, Koramas, and other communities.

Supreme Court order

Earlier, the Congress government, in its election manifesto, had mentioned providing internal reservation to the SC community.

On 1 August 2024, the Supreme Court, in the case of Punjab and Others vs. Devendra Singh and Others, ruled that internal reservation is permissible under the Constitution. According to the order, 17 percent of the reservation matrix will be divided between 101 Scheduled Castes in the state.

The chief minister further added, “Following the order, the Karnataka government formed a committee under the chairmanship of Justice HN Nagamohan Das. He submitted an interim report recommending the inclusion of empirical data. However, as sub-castes such as Adi Dravida, Adi Karnataka, and Adi Andhra fall under both Right and Left groups within the SC category, it is currently difficult to determine which sub-group they belong to.”

Three phases of the survey

Noting that to implement the internal reservations, exact data is required, Siddaramaiah announced, “The Nagamohan Das Commission has trained personnel for conducting a door-to-door survey of the SC population in Karnataka. The first phase of the survey begins on Monday and will continue until 17 May. Around 65,000 teachers have been appointed as enumerators, with each group of ten being supervised by one officer.”

He further announced that the second phase, from 19 May to 21 May, 2025, will involve special camps to cover those who may have been missed in the initial phase. While, the third phase, from 21 May to 23 May, 2025, will allow individuals to self-identify as SC through an online process.

“Following the completion of the survey, Justice Nagamohan Das will submit a final report within 60 days, based on which recommendations for internal reservation will be made,” he further clarified.

‘Committed to internal reservation’

Siddaramaiah also noted that a mobile app has also been launched, allowing individuals to self-declare their sub-caste within the Scheduled Caste (SC) community.

Reiterating that the government is firmly committed to providing internal reservation, the chief minister urged all members of the SC community to actively participate in the survey and provide accurate information.

“If you are not available during the door-to-door enumeration, please ensure your participation either at the special camps or through the online platform. All organizations and institutions are requested to extend their full cooperation in this important initiative. We have also prepared a detailed manual to guide the internal reservation survey process,” he added.

Need for separate survey

H.C. Mahadevappa, Minister of Social Welfare, responding to questions on the need for separate survey for the SC community, said, “None of the previous caste or population census reports contain empirical data on whether Adi Dravida, Adi Karnataka, and Adi Andhra belong to the Right or Left sub-groups within the SC community. This information is missing from both the caste census report and the Kantharaju report. Therefore, we have initiated this exclusive survey for the SC community to generate accurate data.”

He added that the survey includes 42 detailed questionnaires and will be conducted in a transparent and fair manner. A total of Rs 100 crore has been allocated for the survey.

Meanwhile, K.H. Muniyappa, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, emphasised the government’s commitment to internal reservation for SC communities. He said, “Other states have already passed internal reservation laws in their respective assemblies. Although we have experienced some delay, we are fully committed to implementing internal reservation and will complete the process as soon as possible.”

A 24/7 helpline has been set up for any queries or concerns related to the survey. People can call 94813-59000 for assistance.

This article was originally published on South First.

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