Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 13: The caste census report submitted to the Karnataka government has pegged the Muslim population in the state at 18.08% and recommended increasing their reservation to 8%, sources revealed on Sunday.
The Backward Classes Commission's report, formally handed over to the state cabinet on Friday, is set for a detailed discussion at a special cabinet meeting scheduled for April 17. Though the government has yet to release the report publicly, its key findings have surfaced in the public domain.
Currently, Muslims enjoy 4% reservation under Category 2B. If accepted, the new recommendation would double their quota.
The report also suggests a significant reshaping of Karnataka’s reservation structure, proposing an increase in the total quota beyond 75%. As per the findings, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) comprise nearly 70% of the state's population, with a headcount of around 4.18 crore. Scheduled Castes (SCs) are estimated at 1.09 crore, and Scheduled Tribes (STs) at 42.81 lac.
Among other key recommendations:
- OBC reservation to rise from 31% to 51%
- Lingayats constitute 11.09% (66.35 lac) and are recommended for 8% reservation
- Vokkaligas make up 10.31% (61.68 lac) and are recommended for 7% reservation
- SCs, the largest community, should retain 24.1% reservation
- STs are suggested a 9.95% reservation
The report also identifies a newly created Category 1A, which includes communities like Golla, Uppara, Mogaveera and Koli, suggesting a 12% reservation for them. Category 2A communities, such as Madivala and Ediga, are recommended a 10% reservation.
Sources indicate the caste census spans over 46 volumes, along with data submitted in digital format.
The release of the findings is expected to stir political debate. Already, major communities like Lingayats and Vokkaligas have raised concerns over their representation in the report.
Home minister G Parameshwara and minister Zameer Ahmad Khan had earlier stated that Muslims constitute between 16-18% of Karnataka’s population — figures now corroborated by the caste census.
Congress leaders have signalled readiness to push reservation limits beyond 50%, citing the Central government's precedent of introducing a 10% EWS quota. Labour minister Santhosh Lad and Congress MLC B K Hariprasad have defended the move, stating the caste census provides empirical backing for the increase.
Deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, however, has assured that no hasty decision will be taken. "The law minister has opened the report. No MLA or minister has gone through it fully. A detailed discussion will follow," he said.
Meanwhile, opposition parties, including the BJP and JD(S), have rejected the findings. BJP leader R Ashoka called the report "unscientific," alleging that caste surveyors had skipped households and accusing the Congress of using the census for political gain.
The caste census was first commissioned by Siddaramaiah during his earlier term as chief minister in 2014. Although the survey was completed in 2016, successive governments delayed its release. The final report, prepared under Backward Classes Commission chairman Jayaprakash Hegde, was submitted to the present government on February 29, 2024.
Despite criticism, chief minister Siddaramaiah remains firm on implementing the report. “Our government supports the caste census. We will implement it without any doubt,” he reiterated recently.
The coming days are likely to witness intense political churn as Karnataka prepares to take a decisive call on this sensitive issue.