Govt prepares for door-to-door survey on SC reservation demand

Bengaluru:The government is gearing up to conduct a long-awaited door-to-door survey regarding the reservation for the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, set to commence from May 5. This survey is in response to the ongoing demand for internal reservation, particularly for the most marginalized sub-castes within the SC community.

For decades, there has been a push from the SC community for the implementation of internal reservation. The Supreme Court, in a significant ruling on January 1, 2024, granted states the authority to implement SC reservation according to their demographics. Following this, the High Court established a one-member commission led by retired Justice H.N. Nagamohana Das, tasked with submitting recommendations regarding SC categorization by November 12, 2024. The state categorization list includes a total of 101 sub-castes, prompting the need for clarity on which sub-castes fall under the categories of Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida, and Adi Andhra. The commission is tasked with gathering records, evidence, and data on backwardness to prepare a scientific and logical report on SC reservation categorization, with a deadline of two months for submission. The commission has also recommended conducting the survey for empirical data representation of various sub-castes within the SC community.

With preparations underway, the Nagamoohana Das commission will begin the door-to-door survey on May 5, aimed at evaluating the sub-castes and representation of the SC community. The comprehensive survey will assess not only sub-castes but also the socio-economic conditions of the SC community, covering a period from May 5 to May 17. Questionnaires have been prepared for this purpose, and staff training is currently being conducted.

From May 19 to May 21, designated centres will be established at the Panchayat level for individuals who may not have been reached through the door-to-door survey. Those unable to attend in person will also have the option to declare their details online from May 19 to May 23 via a specially developed app and web portal, as stated by retired Justice H.N. Nagamoohana Das.

To facilitate this comprehensive survey, a total of 58,960 enumerators have been appointed, who will visit households to conduct the survey. Approximately 6,000 supervisors will oversee the data collection process. Training sessions for the enumerators are in progress, with master trainers from the state providing guidance at the district level.

Training for 150 master trainers has already been completed in Bengaluru, with additional training scheduled at the taluk level over the next few days. Justice Nagamoohana Das has reached out to the government to expedite the release of data concerning the SC community from the caste census report. On April 11, the findings of a social and educational survey conducted by the Backward Classes Commission (2015) were presented to the Cabinet. The commission had submitted this report in a sealed envelope to the government on February 29, 2024.

Nagamoohana Das has submitted a letter to the government requesting the release of caste census report data, crucial for assessing the statistics of the SC community.According to previous data, the SC population in the state stands at 10,929,347, with 2,847,232 residing in urban areas and 8,082,115 in rural regions. While the official sub-caste count for the SC community is 101, this number has risen to 182 in the caste census, necessitating a thorough data collection process by the Nagamoohana Das commission.

Justice H.N. Nagamoohana Das has formally requested that the government provide the caste census report data. However, the government has yet to release this information. Once available, the sub-caste data will be reviewed for accuracy.

“We are all set to conduct the door-to-door survey from May 5 to May 17. We have appointed 58,960 enumerators, and there will also be options to provide information online. Questionnaires have been prepared, and it’s crucial for everyone in the SC community to participate and provide accurate data. This will facilitate the timely allocation of internal reservations,” Justice H.N. Nagamoohana Das stated.