Bengaluru MP Tejasvi Surya calls for boycott of Karnataka caste census citing data security concerns
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Bengaluru (PTI): Member of Parliament from Bengaluru South Tejasvi Surya, on Saturday called on citizens to boycott the Social and Educational Survey—widely referred to as the 'caste census'—currently underway in Karnataka, raising concerns over the "security of personal data being collected".
Stating that he will not participate in the survey, the BJP leader alleged that it is being conducted by the Congress government out of "political malice and with the intention to pit one caste against another", calling it "illegal".
The survey, conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, began on September 22 and is scheduled to continue until October 7.
"Questions have been raised in the High Court about the security of the data collected during the survey—who will protect or save the data, and whether it will be secure—as personal data like Aadhaar card details and mobile numbers are being collected," Surya said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, “At a time when we are witnessing cyber security crimes every day, there is no clarity from the state government or the Backward Classes Commission as to what measures are being taken to protect the sensitive personal data that is being collected.”
“Keeping all of this in view, I will not participate in this caste census. I’m boycotting it," he claimed.
"I appeal to the people of the state not to participate in this caste survey, which is filled with political malice, for which proper procedures have not been followed, which is illegal, and which does not give any guarantee of protecting your personal data. This caste survey should be boycotted," he further alleged.
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday declined to stop the survey but directed the State Backward Classes Commission to maintain the confidentiality of the collected data and ensure voluntary participation of citizens.
Alleging that the state government, and especially Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, is conducting the survey out of “political intention and malice to pit one caste against another” in Karnataka, Surya said, “It is illegal. Both its intention and procedure are flawed. Faults in the software used for the survey are already known, and the matter came up in the High Court too.”
The MP stressed that “the Court has given an order that this survey is not compulsory, and the participation in it is voluntary. The state government or its officers or the enumerators who conduct the survey cannot force anyone to participate.”
He added, “The High Court has gone a step ahead and said that an advertisement should be published to make it public that participation in the survey is voluntary and not compulsory.”
The survey will involve around 1.75 lakh enumerators and is expected to cover about 7 crore people across the state. Officials said that while the goal is to cover 1.43 crore households, nearly 13 lakh households have been surveyed so far.
Conducted at an estimated cost of Rs 420 crore, the exercise uses a 60-question questionnaire and is being carried out "scientifically", according to officials. The commission is expected to submit its report to the government by December.
Reacting to Surya’s call for a boycott, Siddaramaiah said, "People had gone to court; we will do the survey as per the directions of the court."
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Rupee falls 9 paise to all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): Rupee depreciated 9 paise to an all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade on Monday, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said rupee is trading with a negative bias as investors are in wait and watch mode and awaiting cues from the India-US trade deal front.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.53 against the US dollar, then fell further to an all-time intraday low of 90.58 against the greenback, registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee had slipped 17 paise to close at an all-time low of 90.49 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.35.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.52 per cent at USD 61.44 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 298.86 points lower at 84,968.80, while the Nifty was down 121.40 points at 25,925.55.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue to be in selling mode in equity and debt while RBI has been selling dollars to fund their long positions," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
