Overview

• The state Cabinet unanimously approved a new socio-educational survey and tasked the Backward Classes Commission with completing it in 90 days
• Chief Minister Siddaramaiah cited Section 11 of the 1995 Act to argue that the decade-old census report has lapsed and must be updated
• The decision follows directives from Congress high command after community groups raised concerns that some populations were omitted from the 2015 exercise
• BJP figures faulted the re-survey as an avoidable expense of taxpayers’ money and urged alignment with the Centre’s planned caste count during the next general census
• All recommendations from the 2015 survey, including proposed shifts in reservation categories, will be shelved pending fresh data to guide future policy