The Karnataka Social & Educational Survey, which was undertaken by the State Commission for Backward Classes, was completed on Friday after more than a month of enumeration throughout the state. Residents who missed the door-to-door survey can still submit their information online until November 10.
Backward Classes Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi confirmed that the fieldwork was officially completed.
“No decision to extend the survey has been taken. Those who wish to participate can do so online till November 10,” he told Hindustan Times.
The statewide exercise began on September 22, with enumeration in the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) region beginning on October 4.
This is the second such census, following the 2015 caste-based enumeration conducted by the H Kantharaj Commission, the report of which was delivered to K Jayaprakash Hegde earlier this year.
According to Tangadagi, the survey made a total progress of 101.47 per cent, reaching 1.46 crore households and approximately 5.52 crore persons. In the GBA area, however, progress was significantly slower, at 48.32 per cent.
Officials blamed the shortage on technical difficulties and the city's huge migratory population, with many residents refusing to furnish information, claiming their data had already been collected in their home regions.
“Several technical factors contributed to the slow progress. We are assessing the reasons in detail,” Tangadagi said.
During Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's first tenure, a major study costing Rs 162 crore was done in 2015 to provide the framework for Karnataka's caste census.
Although Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accepted the report in June of this year, its contents and release date have yet to be released.
