Narayana Murthy, apathy & boycott call: How Karnataka caste survey hit a snag, Pg7.

Key Highlights:

• Karnataka is conducting a socio-economic and educational survey of castes, which began on September 22 and was extended to October 31.
• Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and his wife Sudha Murty opted out of the survey, leading to criticism from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
• The Karnataka High Court ruled on September 25 that participation in the survey is voluntary.
• As of October 18, only 41% of urban Bengaluru had been covered, compared to 75-96% in other districts.

Detailed Insights:

• The survey aims to gather empirical data on the socio-economic and educational backwardness of communities, which is considered vital for OBC reservation.
• The Supreme Court has emphasized the need for empirical data to support OBC quotas in elections and reservations, referencing the Indra Sawhney case and Dr K Krishnamurthy vs Union of India.
• Opposition to the survey includes calls for a boycott from some members of the BJP and concerns from dominant castes like Lingayats and Vokkaligas.
• Previous caste surveys in Karnataka, dating back to 1918, have faced opposition due to concerns about faulty enumeration and recommendations.
• The 2015 survey was rejected at the instance of the Congress high command due to opposition from dominant castes.
• The current survey was challenged in the High Court by Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Mahasabha, arguing that it is akin to a Census, which is a power vested only with the Union government.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Empirical Data: Information acquired by observation or experimentation, crucial for backing policy decisions.
• OBC Reservation: Quota for Other Backward Classes in education, employment, and elections to address historical inequalities.
• Caste Survey: An exercise to collect data on the caste composition of the population and their socio-economic conditions.