A division bench comprising Justice Anu Sivaraman and Justice Rajesh Rai. K passed the order on petitions filed by Rajya Vokkaliga Sangha, Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Maha Sabha, advocate K.N. Subba Reddy and others, on September 19, 2025.
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The High Court of Karnataka ordered issue of notices to the State and the Central governments on PIL petitions filed by multiple individuals and groups questioning the legality of the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey, which is scheduled to commence on September 22.
On September 19, a division bench comprising Justice Anu Sivaraman and Justice Rajesh Rai. K passed the order on petitions filed by Rajya Vokkaliga Sangha, Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Maha Sabha, advocate K.N. Subba Reddy and others.
The bench said that all the petitions would be taken up for further hearing on September 22 for consideration of the interim plea of the petitioners to stay the survey.
The bench also ordered issue of notice to the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
The petitioners have primarily contended that the proposed survey amounts to ‘caste census’, which falls exclusively within the domain of the Union Government under provisions of the Constitution of India, and that the State Government lacks legislative or executive competence to conduct such an exercise.
Pointing out that the proposed survey replicates the failed 2015 survey, which was marred by irregularities, missing records, refusal of the member-secretary of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes to sign, and suppression of results.
“The present survey, proposes to enumerate nearly seven crore individuals within 15 days, an arbitrary and unscientific timeline that contrasts with the Union census spanning several months,” it has been pointed out in a petition while contending that the commission has no power under the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1995.
Published – September 19, 2025 03:54 pm IST
