BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court posted a batch of petitions questioning the legality of the Karnataka Social-Educational Survey (Caste Census) for a hearing on an interim plea to stay the survey for Tuesday.
A division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Joshi passed the order on Monday after hearing sometime on the issues raised by the senior counsel representing the petitioners and also senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for the state government.
In view of the urgency pleaded by the petitioners to stay the survey, which has begun on Monday, in view of various sensitive issues raised by them and the state opposing the stay, the court posted the matter at 2.30 pm on Tuesday to examine whether the issue requires the court’s interference.
Appearing for some of the petitioners, senior advocate Prabhuling K Navadagi argued that the state has no competence to take up the purported exercise as it is contrary to Article 342 of the Constitution. The method and manner in which the data is collected by geo-tagging, linking it with Aadhaar of every citizen violates the privacy norms, he argued.
Three more senior counsels appearing for the petitioners argued that what the state is calling survey is nothing less than the census and it is a colourable exercise of power.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the state can do it because it is a survey and not a census. The petitioners have approached the court at the last minute after the state has made every effort to use thousands of teachers and Asha workers for a survey following the budgetary allocation of Rs 420 crore. The whole object of this survey is to update the data of the survey completed in 2015 by the State Backward Classes Commission. If the survey is stalled, the schedule will be derailed, he argued.
Additional Solicitor General of India Arvind Kamath submitted that the collection of data is a census which can be done by the Centre and hence the state cannot do it. On the other hand, senior advocate Ravivarma Kumar said the Commission has power to conduct the survey.
Rajya Vokkaligara Sangha, Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Maha Sabha, advocate KN Subba Reddy and others have filed the petitions against the survey from September 22 to October 7, 2025. Rajya Vokkaliga Sangha contended that the caste census exclusively falls within the domain of the Centre under the Constitution.
It was also stated that this survey replicates the failed 2015 survey, which was marred by irregularities, missing records, the refusal of the Member-Secretary of the Commission to sign, and suppression of results.