'Caste census' Period for self-participation through online extended till Nov 30

PTI, November 11, 2025, Bengaluru :  The Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes on Tuesday extended the deadline for those who couldn't participate in the Social and Educational Survey -- widely referred to as the "caste census" -- in the state for different reasons. They can enumerate online till November 30.

The actual survey, with enumerators gathering data door-to-door, had concluded on October 31, with an 89.48 per cent enumeration. About 4.22 lakh households had refused to participate in the survey.

However, in order to provide an opportunity to those who could not participate in the survey due to various reasons, the period for participating online was extended till November 10.

"In order to provide an opportunity to everyone to participate in the survey, the period for self-participation through the online link https://kscbcselfdeclaration.karnataka.gov.in, has finally been extended till November 30," the commission said in a release on Tuesday.

About 6.13 crore of the 6.85 crore projected population of the state, as per the 2025 estimates, had participated in the survey till October 31, and as many as 34.49 lakh households were either locked or vacant, as per the commission.

The survey, which began on September 22, was actually scheduled to end on October 7, but it was extended multiple times. Before extending the deadline, the survey was estimated to cost Rs 420 crore.

The exercise is being carried out using a 60-question questionnaire "scientifically", according to officials.

The government had spent Rs 165.51 crore on an earlier Social and Educational Survey in 2015, which was later discarded.