Deadline pressure, voluntary disclosure raise accuracy fears in Rs 420 crore caste survey | Bengaluru News – The Times of India

Bengaluru: The ongoing socio-educational survey in the state, popularly known as the caste survey, has entered a critical phase amid fears that the Rs 420 crore exercise may face the same fate as the 2015 caste survey, which was shelved due to disputes over accuracy. Technical glitches, deadline pressure, and voluntary disclosure rules have cast doubts on the reliability of data, raising concerns that political parties and caste groups may again demand a resurvey. So far, Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission has covered only 2-4% of total households in five districts. However, the govt hopes to complete 96-98% of the work in a couple of weeks, a target experts call far-fetched. Chief minister Siddaramaiah set Oct 7 as the deadline, but critics say enumerators are being forced to rush through fieldwork, undermining accuracy. “Rs 420 crore is not a small amount,” said analyst Vishwas Shetty. “If accuracy is sacrificed for speed, the findings will not stand public scrutiny. Political parties and caste groups will again call for a resurvey, just like the last time.” Opposition leader in the legislative assembly R Ashoka echoed this view: “The govt should not push enumerators with unrealistic deadlines. A survey of this scale demands proper training, time, and patience. Otherwise, it will only add to Karnataka’s history of wasted surveys.” Enumerators say glitches in the data collection software have delayed entries and caused incomplete uploads. Pressure to meet daily targets has left little scope to clarify doubts or cross-check answers. “Families are hesitant to share caste details, and we don’t have enough training to handle such situations. But, since deadlines are tight, we are asked to quickly move on,” said an enumerator from Raichur. Errors have also surfaced on social media. Stickers meant for houses have been pasted on toilet doors. In another case, Bengaluru resident Raghavendra Rao alleged he mentioned his caste as Brahmin, but enumerators put him down as a Lingayat. Another complication stems from the commission’s clarification that disclosure of caste details is voluntary, following a court directive. “If large numbers choose not to reveal their caste, the sample becomes unreliable. The result will be patchy statistics that cannot guide long-term policies,” said sociologist Vivek Kishore. Shetty warned: “The govt must learn from past mistakes. If credibility is lost, another resurvey will become inevitable. And with Rs 420 crore already spent, it would be an unforgivable waste of public money.” But Congress functionaries defended the tight deadline with a senior functionary saying: “Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly highlighted the importance of caste census and surveys to ensure social justice. CM Siddaramaiah has said this exercise will serve as the basis for programmes benefiting disadvantaged communities. The CM has ruled out an extension only to keep pressure on enumerators and will relax the deadline closer to Oct 7.”