Ahead of the state-wide caste survey that begins on September 22, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday appealed to all citizens of Karnataka to take part in the state’s comprehensive Socio-Economic and Educational Survey, stating the exercise would help design “scientific and fair” welfare policies to eliminate the inequalities in society.
“Even decades after independence, inequality persists. To make our democracy stronger, we must eliminate these disparities. This survey will provide the data needed to design effective welfare programmes for everyone. In the US, there is affirmative action for African Americans, and in India, there is a reservation to eliminate the inequalities,” said Siddaramaiah.
The fresh door-to-door survey was ordered after the Congress government rejected the decade-old Kantharaj Commission report, citing its redundancy. The survey will now be conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, chaired by Madhusudan Naik, between September 22 and October 7, 2025, at a cost of Rs 420 crore.
“The survey will be conducted by 1.85 lakh teachers who will cover seven crore population across two crore households. We will ensure that the survey is scientific and fair. The teachers will collect data using a questionnaire with 60 questions to capture data on the social, educational, political and economic status of every family. While the total estimated cost is Rs 420 crore, the remuneration to teachers (Rs 20,000 each) alone will cost Rs 325 crore. Each teacher will cover 120 to 150 households. I urge people to participate and answer all the questions posed by the enumerators,” added the chief minister.
For the first time in the country, the caste survey is being carried out using advanced technology like geo-tagging every household to enable enumerators to identify the households as well as capture authentic data using the app.
Also Read
“As a precursor to the actual survey, we will have the electricity meter readers identify the houses and paste the Unique Household Identity (UHID) stickers on the doors. The ASHA workers will go door-to-door to each household and provide the questionnaire format in advance before the teachers reach out to these houses in their assigned blocks,” said the CM.
To ensure scientific and accurate enumeration, the government will geo-tag each household using electricity meter numbers and assign a Unique Household ID (UHID)—a process already completed for 1.55 lakh homes. The ration cards and Aadhaar numbers will be linked to the registered mobile numbers during the survey. Citizens can raise complaints or queries through a dedicated helpline (8050770004) or take the survey online.
Expressing confidence that the survey will be completed within the scheduled time, during the Dasara vacation, Siddaramaiah also clarified that the caste survey of the state was different from the Centre’s caste census as the former captured exhaustive data on the socio-economic and educational status of each household, which would help the government to formulate policies that ensure a just and equal society for all.
“The final report is expected by December 2025, and it will have accurate information from every household. The Commission will go by what the people have disclosed in the survey, be it their religion or caste,” added the CM.