Karnataka's socio-educational survey distinct from Centre’s caste census: CM Siddaramaiah
Davangere (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday clarified that his government’s upcoming socio-educational and caste survey is fundamentally different from the Centre's caste census, emphasising that the state's initiative is driven by the imperative of social justice.
His comments follow a gazette notification stating that the nationwide caste census would commence from March 1, 2027 while in certain regions like the Union Territory of Ladakh, snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand from October 1, 2026.
Addressing reporters here, Siddaramaiah said, “The Centre is doing a caste census, which will be taken up from 2027. However, it has not said that it will conduct a socio-educational survey. What we are going to do is a socio-educational survey. Caste census will also come under its purview.”
He reiterated that the Karnataka government has no objection to the Centre’s census but underscored the scope and intent of the state's exercise.
“The Centre is only doing a caste census, while we are undertaking a comprehensive socio-educational and caste survey. The distinction is important.”
According to Siddaramaiah, the purpose of the state survey is to gather data that can inform effective welfare measures for backward and marginalised communities.
“We are doing this because, for social justice, we must know the socio-economic and educational status of the people. Without knowing that, it becomes difficult to implement meaningful welfare programmes,” he explained.
Asked about the pressure from dominant communities objecting to the previous survey, the CM dismissed the allegation and noted that objections to the earlier survey came from both dominant and deprived communities.
“More importantly, it’s been 10 years since the earlier survey was initiated. As per Section 11 of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Act, a new report must be prepared after every 10 years. That is the legal and administrative basis for our decision to order a fresh survey,” he added.
Siddaramaiah further said that he has already instructed the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes to commence the survey work without delay.
“I have already ordered the Backward Classes Commission to do it immediately,” he said.
The Chief Minister’s remarks come amid an ongoing national debate surrounding caste-based enumeration and its implications for policymaking.
Karnataka had, in 2015, undertaken a socio-economic and caste census, but its findings were never officially published due to controversy and pushback from various quarters.
The state cabinet on June 12 decided to carry out a fresh survey, aiming to gather updated data.
The move follows a directive from the Congress high command, urging the state to initiate caste re-enumeration amid rising concerns from several communities that they were excluded or misrepresented in the earlier survey conducted a decade ago.
The announcement also comes at a time when the cabinet was already reviewing the findings of the Socio-Educational Survey submitted to the government, which was based on the 2015 data collection.
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Woman poses as man to loot jewellery of Rs 1.5 crore from relative's house; arrested
Palghar (PTI): A 27-year-old woman disguised as a man to gain entry into the residence of her sister's father-in-law and robbed jewellery of more than Rs 1.5 crore from the house in Maharashtra's Palghar district, police said on Wednesday.
The incident took place at Manickpur in Vasai area on Monday afternoon and the woman was apprehended from Navsari in Gujarat the same night, they said.
The accused, dressed up as a man, came to the house of her sister's 66-year-old father-in-law, who lived alone, under the pretext of wanting to see it for some deal.
After entering the house, the accused took the elderly man to the toilet on the pretext of checking it, locked him inside and fled with 1.4 kg of gold ornaments and 2.3 kg of silver items, collectively valued at Rs 1,50,84,050, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Madan Ballal said.
Based on the victim's complaint, an FIR was registered the same day under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for theft, robbery and wrongful confinement, and the police examined 75 to 80 CCTV footages, he said.
"We came across a footage showing a man carrying the stolen items and placing them somewhere before disappearing from sight, after which a woman collected them," the official said.
Along with technical surveillance and intelligence inputs, the investigators received a tip that a relative of the victim in Gujarat could be involved in the crime.
Acting swiftly, a crime branch team from here, with the assistance of the Navsari police, apprehended the woman, identified as Jyoti Mohan Bhanushali, from Gujarat late Monday night, Ballal said.
"During interrogation, she confessed to hatching the plan herself. Disguised as a man, she visited the house of her sister's father-in-law, knowing he lived alone, and carried out the robbery," the official said.
The police have recovered all the stolen items, he said, adding further probe was on into the case.
