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52m ago

Karnataka HC Makes Caste Survey Voluntary, Orders Data Confidentiality

The court imposed voluntary participation with strict confidentiality as interim safeguards.

A division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Joshi made it clear that while the survey may proceed, the data gathered must remain strictly confidential and protected from disclosure. | Image: Shutterstock
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Overview

  • The High Court directed that surveyors cannot insist on answers, the state must publicly announce that responses are optional, and access to collected data must be limited to the Backward Classes Commission.
  • The bench asked the Commission to file an affidavit confirming compliance with these directions and adjourned the hearing after issuing the interim order.
  • The Union government opposed the exercise in court, calling it a “census cloaked as a survey” and arguing that only the Centre can conduct a census under the constitutional scheme.
  • Petitions by groups including the Rajya Vokkaliga Sangha and the Akhila Bharata Brahmana Mahasabha challenged the process and sought a stay, which the court declined at this stage.
  • The court questioned the survey handbook’s clarity on refusal and privacy safeguards, and the Commission said ‘information refused’ can be recorded, Aadhaar is used only for verification with restricted access, and the state has budgeted nearly Rs 420 crore for the exercise.