BENGALURU: Karnataka’s Socio-Educational Caste Census, conducted by the Backward Classes Commission, is under fire as communities across the state are reportedly coaching members to falsify responses, in a bid to preserve their ‘backward’ status, and secure government benefits.
The controversial survey, intended to assess socio-economic realities, risks becoming a mockery. Dwaraknath, former chairman of the Backward Classes Commission, who crafted the survey’s questionnaire in 2008, voiced concern. “Communities have become hyper-aware. They’re training members to give answers that ensure their backwardness is retained. Many have approached me, asking how to manipulate responses to maintain benefits indefinitely,” he said.
His original intent — to measure genuine socio-economic backwardness — is being subverted by calculated efforts to trick the system. The chairman of a community-based initiative, who has toured dozens of centres coaching his community members, revealed the extent of the deception. “Some are instructing members to claim they live in tiled village homes, while actually owning RCC houses in cities like Bengaluru or Mysuru,” he said.
Other tactics include claiming they have one or two more children who are under six, or denying ownership of cars and jobs, which are key indicators of economic progress. These falsehoods are designed to paint a picture of deprivation, ensuring eligibility for reservation and welfare schemes.
Sources said enumerators, tasked with collecting accurate data, would be caught in a bind. Unable to verify claims, they must record what respondents tell them, even when discrepancies are glaring. A prominent community leader, speaking anonymously, admitted, “I’ve urged my community to be truthful, but many resist, fearing the loss of benefits tied to backward status.”
This drives a collective effort to prioritize short-term gains over honest reporting. The census risks producing skewed data that could misguide policy makers. As communities double down on preserving their backwardness, the survey’s credibility hangs in the balance. Without verification mechanisms, the exercise may set off a cycle of dependency rather than upliftment. The caste census, instead of uncovering the truth, could turn into a web of lies.