The three-phase exercise, led by retired High Court judge Justice HN Nagamohan Das, involves door-to-door data collection, special camps, and online self-declaration. The state has allocated ₹100 crore for the project.
Rashmi Patil
Published May 12, 2025 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated May 12, 2025 | 9:00 AM
In its 2023 election manifesto, the ruling Congress had promised internal reservation for SC communities.
Synopsis: The Karnataka government has launched a three-phase, ₹100 crore survey to gather caste-specific data on 101 Scheduled Castes, aiming to support internal reservations based on empirical evidence. Led by Justice HN Nagamohan Das, the exercise involves door-to-door data collection, special camps, and a mobile app, and responds to a Supreme Court ruling allowing sub-classification within SCs. Despite logistical and social challenges, the survey is expected to produce detailed data within 60 days to guide equitable sub-quota allocations.
On 5 May, the Karnataka government launched a statewide survey of Scheduled Caste (SC) sub-castes to support internal reservation.
The three-phase exercise, led by retired High Court judge Justice HN Nagamohan Das, involves door-to-door data collection, special camps, and online self-declaration. The state has allocated ₹100 crore for the project.
The move follows a Supreme Court judgment that upheld the constitutionality of sub-classification within Scheduled Castes, enabling states to consider internal quotas based on empirical data.
“Based on the apex court order, the government has formed a Justice Nagamohan Das Commission. He has been mandated to give clear data on the sub-quota for castes in the SC list,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has earlier said.
“The purpose of this exercise is to provide empirical data of 101 castes in the Scheduled Caste list.”
The Commission is expected to submit its report within 60 days.
In its 2023 election manifesto, the ruling Congress had promised internal reservation for SC communities. On the ground, the need for detailed data has gained urgency due to reported inconsistencies in the classification of sub-castes.
“While castes such as Adi Dravida, Adi Karnataka and Adi Andhra fall under the left subgroup in some parts of Karnataka, they also fall under the right subgroup in other parts of the state. Therefore, the Commission will give clear recommendations and prepare empirical data,” Siddaramaiah added.
At present, Karnataka provides 17 percent reservation for Scheduled Castes, covering 101 sub-castes.
The effort to refine reservation within SC groups began in 2005, when the state formed the Justice AJ Sadashiva Committee.
Though the committee submitted its report in 2012, it was never implemented.
Objections were raised by both left and right subgroups over population estimates.
Until 2022, SCs in Karnataka were entitled to 15 percent reservation. In that year, the government led by then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai increased it to 17 percent.
Also Read: Decoding Karnataka’s caste census: What really does the disputed data say?
Survey phases and training
The caste survey in Karnataka is being rolled out in three phases.
“The caste survey is being done in three phases. While the first phase is from 5 May to 17 May, which is the door-to-door survey, the second phase is from 19 to 21 May,” the Chief Minister explained.
“Designated camps will be set up from the 19th, where people who were not available at home or might have been missed out can come to these camps and provide the details. The third phase is from 19 to 23 May, when the government will launch a mobile app for people to declare themselves as SC on the app,” he said.
However, the mobile app has not yet been launched. Satya Shree, Member Secretary of the Social Welfare Commission, explained that the timing was deliberate.
“We have not launched the mobile app for people now. In case we launch it now, they will refuse to provide information when we go to their doorstep. Our survey will fall flat,” she said.
A 24/7 helpline – 9481359000 – has also been set up for public queries or concerns about the survey.
One of the enumerators in Bengaluru collecting details during Scheduled Caste survey
The logistics behind the large-scale operation include a layered training system.
Master trainers are first trained at the state level, and they in turn train staff at the district, Urban Local Bodies (ULB), and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) levels.
These trainers then work with surveyors and supervisors at the taluk and ward levels. Coordination committees at the district, city, and taluk levels are responsible for ensuring the training is thorough.
“Surveyors and supervisors should attend their own training sessions on the scheduled days. They must carefully study the instructions in the manual regarding filling in the details provided for the survey and understand them well,” Satya Shree said.
“All these items mentioned in the manual have al
so been implemented in the mobile app prepared for the survey. If any part of the instructions is not clear or understandable, they must seek clarification from the trainer or supervisor. They have been trained to use the mobile app and obtain information at different levels.”
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On the ground: How survey is being carried out
Enumerators in Karnataka’s caste survey have been assigned houses based on the number of election booths in each Assembly constituency.
“For instance, if there are 284 election booths in Vijayanagar Assembly Constituency, then there are 284 enumerators assigned to that constituency. If there are 240 election booths in Basavanagudi Assembly Constituency, then there are 240 enumerators. The number of houses is based on the number of streets assigned to us. At least 200 to 300 houses are assigned to one enumerator depending on the demography of that locality,” explained Ambika N, a teacher at a government school in Attiguppe, working as an enumerator.
“There was individual training provided to us and I think it is the same in every constituency,” she said.
Although no daily targets have been set, enumerators are expected to make steady progress.
“There is no target given to us to achieve for one day. But if I start at 9.30 am, I end up covering 26 houses until 6.30 pm,” Ambika said.
Many of the enumerators, including Ambika, Prasanna Kumar, and Gopi – all schoolteachers – have flagged technical issues. The app used for data entry has been a persistent challenge.
“There are a lot of server issues while using the app. It takes time for us to enter micro details and the app ends up showing the notification ‘Network not connected, try again’. Currently, the enumerators are doing this work using their own mobile phones,” said Ambika.
The state government has not issued dedicated devices for the task.
Ambika, who has been conducting fieldwork since 5 May, said she has covered over 75 houses. But collecting caste data presents its own set of challenges.
“One must not go and ask people directly whether they are Scheduled Caste or Non-Scheduled Caste. They get offended, angry and force us to go away. In many cases that I observed, the person staying as a tenant would not want their property owner to know they are SC,” she said.
“In such cases, they are reluctant to share their caste details. Some people do not want their neighbours to know about their caste. I think they fear being outcast in society.”
Prasanna Kumar, who teaches at SLN Aided School in Attiguppe, agreed:
“Though the government and the media have taken so many steps to create awareness, people do not open doors or gates when we go to their homes. After knocking four to five times, they come out to talk. Some people say, why do you or the government want all these details? Leave us to ourselves.”
Enumerators have also encountered residents unfamiliar with their own caste status.
“There are people who do not know their caste or whether they are SC or Non-SC. They are in high-profile jobs and are not aware of castes. We make sure to verify their caste certificate. Once we enter the RD number of the caste certificate in the app, it shows us all the caste details,” Ambika said.
Each group of 10 to 12 enumerators is supervised by a senior official, often a school principal or headteacher.
These supervisors are responsible for daily reporting and spot checks.
“Every day, when the enumerators complete the survey, they inform us about the number of houses they have completed. Out of those, we have to verify 10 percent of the houses and check if the information they have entered is accurate,” Ramamani, a headteacher at a government school in Bengaluru told South First.
“Later, the documents collected by the enumerators like the self-declaration forms have to be submitted to the respective government body at the urban, district, taluk or gram panchayat level.”
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Tech driven data collection
During the survey, enumerators visit every household in the streets assigned to them, recording details through a government-developed mobile application.
“There are two sections under the caste category: Scheduled Caste and Non-Scheduled Caste. For Scheduled Castes, we fill in all the details because the survey is meant for them,” Ambika explained.
“If people are not from the Scheduled Castes, they are marked as Non-SC. In this case, we take their Aadhaar card or ration card number, total number of family members and door number. No other details are collected for Non-SC.”
As the survey specifically targets Scheduled Castes, data collection for SC households is more detailed.
“If you enter the ration card number, it displays the family members’ details, which are automatically added or autofilled in the survey app. If they are not included in the ration card, then the app gives us the option to add only two new members using their Aadhaar card numbers,” Ambika explained.
The app also includes fields to enter the head of the family’s details and specify how each family member is related to them.
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What the survey seeks to establish and how
Enumerators conducting Karnataka’s Scheduled Caste survey have been given a detailed Kaipidi (manual) which guides them through each question in the mobile app. Question 14 is devoted entirely to caste details.
“There are 101 castes given to us in this manual. For instance, if we select Adi Karnataka, Adi Andhra and Adi Dravida from the list, then from the next drop-down menu, we need to select the name of the sub-caste,” Ambika said.
“There are 98 names of original castes/sub castes mentioned in the manual. In case the person does not know the sub-caste, then we must select the option ‘don’t know’ from the drop-down menu. We cannot assign some other sub-caste.”
The manual also specifies that the caste or subcaste of the head of the family is to be assigned to their children.
The app allows enumerators to input details from caste certificates. If the family possesses a Scheduled Caste certificate, it is marked as “yes”; otherwise, “no” is selected.
According to the Nagamohan Das Commission, the aim of the survey is to collect caste-specific population data on 101 Scheduled Castes in Karnataka.
The Commission notes that such detailed data has not been captured in previous ethnographic studies, commission reports or reservation lists.
Some caste categories, such as Adi Andhra, Adi Dravida and Adi Karnataka – listed as serial numbers 01, 02 and 03 respectively – are umbrella terms that include several original castes.
Individuals identifying with these must also specify their original caste, which could be one of the 98 castes including Holeya or Madiga.
Each of the 101 castes, along with the 98 original castes, has been assigned a unique code number. Enumerators are required to enter these codes while completing each record.
Annexure-2B in the manual provides the full list of original castes, numbered from 004 to 101, along with their corresponding codes.
In addition to caste, the survey collects detailed socio-economic information, including:
- Family structure and occupation
- Whether traditional occupations are still practised
- Number of employed family members
- Annual income
- Land ownership (and whether it is agricultural)
- Use of government schemes and scholarships
- Possession of a bank account
- Political representation by any family member
One key question asks whether any SC family member has faced social discrimination in temples or public places.
Asked about the rationale, Satya Shree, Member Secretary of the Social Welfare Commission, said: “There is no particular purpose here. We have included that question to know if they have undergone social discrimination.”
Once data is entered, the enumerator previews the information before submitting it.
The app then generates an application number linked to a self-declaration form.
This includes the application number, signatures of both the enumerator and a family member, and a photo of the signed form, which is uploaded to the app.
During the third phase of the survey, from 19 to 23 May, the government will launch a mobile application for individuals who were not present at home during earlier phases to declare themselves as Scheduled Caste.
To prevent misuse, users will be required to provide an RD number – a unique ID found on the caste certificate issued by the Tahsildar.
“If one enters this RD number, the app automatically catches or recognises the SC or Non-SC person,” the manual explains.
The data is later verified by the Social Welfare Department.
This mechanism is intended to ensure that only individuals officially recognised as Scheduled Caste are able to self-declare on the app.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
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