Nearly ten years after launching the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey—often referred to as the caste census—the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes has finally seen its work formally acknowledged. On April 11, the State Cabinet accepted the long-awaited report, which comprises a comprehensive set of 50 volumes. A special Cabinet session scheduled for April 17 will now delve into its finer details.
One of the report’s major proposals includes increasing the reservation quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from 32% to 51%. If implemented, Karnataka’s total reservation percentage would rise to 85%, factoring in 10% for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and 24% for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
However, the recommendations have sparked sharp resistance from the powerful and influential Veerashaiva-Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, both known for their landholding dominance and political clout. Several Congress ministers and MLAs from these communities have raised concerns about the report’s methodology, questioning the “scientific rigor” behind its findings.
In contrast, leaders from OBC and marginalised communities within the Congress have urged the government to stand by the report’s recommendations. They criticized the political rhetoric surrounding the report, arguing that its merit should be judged objectively rather than emotionally. They emphasized that the document is yet to be made public and warned against prejudging a data-driven exercise.
One of the most debated elements in the report is the proposed reclassification of the Kuruba community. Traditionally seen as relatively well-off and already politically represented in both Parliament and the Karnataka Assembly, Kurubas have been recommended for a shift from Category 2A (more backward) to Category 1B (most backward). This has raised several eyebrows, especially given that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who initiated the survey back in 2015 under the leadership of H. Kantharaj, belongs to the Kuruba community himself.
As Karnataka prepares to engage with this landmark report, the political discourse around caste, representation, and equity is poised to intensify, with the outcome potentially reshaping the reservation landscape in the state.
