Amendments to caste listing more likely to handle considerations

A day after a number of Cabinet Ministers took exception to the inclusion of “new castes” to the listing of castes for the socio-educational survey, ranging from September 22, the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes is learnt to be considering a change of format within the caste listing.

While the Ministers, primarily belonging to Vokkaliga and Veerashaiva-Lingayat communities, had raised sure objections throughout Thursday’s (September 18, 2025) Cabinet assembly over the caste listing being drawn, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is learnt to have informed the Commission on Friday (September 19, 2025) to deal with the considerations on inclusion of “new castes”, which has turned controversial.

Sources within the authorities informed The Hindu that amendments are more likely to be made to the caste listing within the software program developed for the survey. “The controversial caste names within the listing revealed are more likely to be masked within the software program. The choice for members of those castes could be given to enumerate themselves within the ‘others’ column. It is a measure taken quickly to make sure the survey takes off easily,” sources stated.

Surjewala’s message

Meanwhile, Congress common secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, who met Mr. Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.Okay. Shivakumar on Friday (September 19, 2025), informed each leaders to proceed with the survey by dropping “new castes” which were included within the listing, get together sources stated. He conveyed the message from the excessive command to proceed with the survey by making adjustments to the listing, sources stated.

The inclusion of 331 castes/ sub castes (many Christian and Muslim sub-groups) have been objected to by the BJP, a number of caste organisations and Cabinet Ministers. The castes underneath query embody Vokkaliga Christians, Kuruba Christians, Brahmin Christians and Lingayat Christians amongst others. Objections have been raised over inclusion of a number of Muslim sub-castes. One of the strategies mooted was to membership these castes underneath a brand new column referred to as “converts”, it’s learnt.

The fee is, nonetheless, learnt to have expressed reluctance to delete the names of those castes.

Interestingly, the Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Mahasabha and Jagathika Lingayat Mahasabha have additionally appealed to their neighborhood members to enumerate themselves as “Veerashaiva-Lingayat” and “Lingayat” respectively underneath the “others” column for the faith. This was additionally raised through the Cabinet assembly on Thursday (September 18, 2025).

Several Ministers who took half within the assembly with the Chief Minister earlier on Friday (September 19, 2025), are learnt to have felt that the federal government may face embarrassment if the caste survey is halted on the final minute. However, some Ministers additionally identified that if the survey is sustained within the present format, it may harm the get together and embarrass the federal government.

Vociferous protests

Among Ministers current on the assembly included D.Okay. Shivakumar, H.Okay. Patil, Santhosh Lad, Byrathi Suresh and Shivaraj Tangadagi. Sources stated that Mr. Shivakumar, M.B. Patil and Eshwar Khandre strongly opposed the inclusion of “new castes”. They stated such additions will be made solely after an anthropological examine.

Those in know of the problem really feel that the removing of those “new castes” from the listing now may end in judicial intervention. “The 2015 survey has the info of those castes. Individual petitions had not been entertained then and petitions of solely caste organisations had been accepted. Now, with out offering the chance to be heard, if the caste names are lacking, the aggrieved caste members may strategy courts,” sources stated.

Multiple makes an attempt to hunt a response from fee Chairman Madhusudan Naik and Member Secretary Okay.A. Dayanand failed.