Key Points
- Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy and Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murthy refused to participate in Karnataka’s ongoing caste census by signing a declaration stating they don’t belong to any backward community
- Sudha Murthy clarified that participating “will not serve any purpose for the government in their case.”
- Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar confirmed participation in the survey is completely optional and cannot be forced
- The caste census deadline has been extended to October 19, 2025, after initially being scheduled to end on October 7
- As of October 6, approximately 80% of enumeration has been completed, with some districts lagging behind
- Government and aided schools across Karnataka remain closed until October 19-24 to allow teachers to complete survey work
Bengaluru: enumerators visited the residence of Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy and his wife Sudha Murthy, the couple politely declined to participate in Karnataka’s Social and Educational Survey, commonly referred to as the caste census. According to reports, Sudha Murthy signed a formal declaration stating that the family does not belong to any backward community and therefore saw no reason to participate in the government exercise.
The Rajya Sabha MP explained her family’s position, stating that their participation “will not serve any purpose for the government in their case,” emphasizing a pragmatic approach to the voluntary survey.
Government Clarifies Voluntary Nature of Survey
Responding to the Murthy family’s decision, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar reiterated the voluntary nature of the exercise. “The Court itself has ruled that people need not answer certain questions if they do not wish to. In this backdrop, there is no reason to oppose the survey altogether,” Shivakumar stated.
The Karnataka High Court has directed the government to ensure privacy and explicitly prohibited forcing people to provide information during the survey, establishing clear legal boundaries for the enumeration process.
Survey Timeline Extended Amid Technical Challenges
The ambitious Social and Educational Survey, which commenced on September 22, 2025, has faced multiple challenges requiring deadline extensions. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on October 6 that the survey would now be completed by October 19, extending the original October 7 deadline.
“By October 19, the survey work will be completed. There were some technical glitches in the beginning, which are being fixed now. I thank all enumerators,” Siddaramaiah said during a press conference in Bengaluru.
Home Minister G. Parameshwara revealed that as of October 6, enumeration had been completed for approximately 80% of the target population, though significant variations exist across districts. While Koppal district achieved 97% completion, Mangaluru district managed only about 67%, highlighting uneven progress across Karnataka.
Massive Exercise Covering 70 Million People
The Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes (KSCBC) is conducting this comprehensive survey with an estimated budget of ₹420 crore. The exercise includes a detailed 60-question questionnaire designed to collect data from approximately 7 crore (70 million) people across 2 crore (20 million) households throughout the state.
Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Chairman Madhusudan R Naik clarified that the list of castes in the survey handbook is solely for internal use by enumerators and does not carry any legal sanctity.
Educational Impact: Schools Remain Closed
To facilitate the massive data collection effort, approximately 1.75 lakh (175,000) government employees have been deployed as enumerators, the majority being government school teachers. This deployment has necessitated the closure of government and aided schools across Karnataka.
In Greater Bengaluru, schools will operate with modified timings from 8 AM to 1 PM between October 8 and October 24, with teachers conducting survey work after school hours. In the rest of Karnataka, similar reduced timings were implemented from October 8 to 12 initially.
Deputy CM Shivakumar assured parents that the loss of instructional time would be compensated through extra classes once the survey is completed.
Survey Methodology and Technology
The enumeration process incorporates modern technology, with each household being geo-tagged using its electricity meter number and assigned a Unique Household Identification Card (UHID) [original article]. During data collection, ration card and Aadhaar details are linked to mobile numbers to create a comprehensive database.
However, the survey has faced technical challenges, with officers in several districts reporting that government mobile application errors prevented them from starting the enumeration work initially. A dedicated helpline number, 8050770004, has been established to address complaints and technical issues.
Political Opposition and Community Concerns
The survey has faced significant political resistance, with the BJP strongly opposing the exercise. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and several BJP leaders have urged citizens not to divulge details, while state BJP president BY Vijayendra alleged, “The Congress-led government is playing chess in its name. They are trying to divide Hindu society”.
Union Minister of State V Somanna criticized the survey as “unscientific” and “filled with confusion and technical errors”. However, CM Siddaramaiah countered these criticisms, calling them “hypocritical” and noting that BJP leaders who supported caste surveys in Bihar and Telangana were now calling for a boycott in Karnataka.
Two major communities in Karnataka—the Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats—had initially requested a three-month postponement of the census to ensure proper preparation and participation, expressing concerns about the ambitious 15-day schedule. These communities had also objected to the previous 2015 census, calling it unscientific and demanding a fresh count .
Historical Context and Future Timeline
This is Karnataka’s second attempt at conducting a comprehensive caste census. In 2015, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government had conducted a similar exercise at a cost of ₹165.51 crore, but it was discarded following criticism and intervention by the Congress high command.
The Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes is expected to submit its comprehensive report to the state government by December 2025. The government claims this exercise is vital for framing effective welfare policies and bringing marginalized communities into the socio-economic mainstream.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah emphasized, “This survey is not against anyone; it is in favor of everyone,” adding that the exercise covers all seven crore residents of the state to ensure equitable representation.
