Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to Break Silence on Caste Census After April 17 Cabinet Meet

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to Break Silence on Caste Census After April 17 Cabinet Meet

Bengaluru, April 14 – Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced that he will address the highly anticipated caste census report only after a special cabinet meeting scheduled for April 17. The meeting will be exclusively dedicated to discussing the findings and implications of the caste-based Socio-Economic and Educational Survey.

“We have convened a cabinet meeting on April 17 to discuss this lone subject. After the discussion, I will speak on it,” Siddaramaiah said, speaking to reporters after paying tribute to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on his 134th birth anniversary.

The caste census, initiated during Siddaramaiah’s first tenure as CM in 2015, has been a politically sensitive and socially significant undertaking. Data collection concluded in 2018, but the final report was only submitted in February 2024 by the current chairperson of the State Backward Classes Commission, K. Jayaprakash Hegde.

The survey's preliminary findings have already stirred debate. According to the data:

• Scheduled Castes (SCs) make up over 18% of Karnataka’s population.

• Muslims account for nearly 13%.

• The traditionally dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities together comprise less than 25%.

In a bold set of recommendations, the commission proposed restructuring the state’s reservation system by increasing the total caste-based quota to 75%. This includes:

• Raising Muslim reservations from 4% to 8%.

• Increasing OBC reservations from 32% to 51%.

The survey covered 59 million people, slightly below Karnataka’s 2011 census figure of 61.09 million.

While the Congress government frames the exercise as a step toward social justice, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has pushed back, calling the survey “unscientific” and accusing the ruling party of politicizing caste for electoral gain.

With the April 17 cabinet meeting drawing near, political observers and citizens alike are watching closely. Siddaramaiah’s response could set the tone for caste and reservation politics in Karnataka for years to come.