A recent Social and Educational Survey initiated by the Karnataka State government, through the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, is currently facing legal scrutiny. On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, a petitioner argued before the High Court of Karnataka that the survey’s method of linking caste details with personal identifiers such as Aadhaar, ration cards, electricity RR numbers, mobile numbers, and geo-tagging households constitutes a violation of the fundamental right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution.
In response, the Commission clarified to the Court that individuals are not obligated to disclose information to enumerators during the survey, emphasizing that participation is voluntary.
The petitioner’s counsel highlighted concerns that the digitally collected data could be vulnerable to hacking, leaks, or unauthorized publication. They pointed out that the government order explicitly outlines intentions to geo-tag each household, assign a Unique Household ID, and connect caste particulars with various personal data points—all seemingly without robust legislative backing.
A critical point of contention is the absence of statutory safeguards akin to those found in the Census Act, 1948. Unlike the Census Act, which mandates purpose limitation, confidentiality, data retention policies, and penalties for misuse, the current state-led process is purely executive. Petitioners argue that this lack of legal framework makes digitally gathered data irreversible and prone to privacy breaches.
Government’s Defense
The State government, however, refutes claims that the exercise is a “caste census,” labeling such assertions as a “mis-characterization.” They maintain that the data collection aims solely to identify eligible individuals for various welfare schemes, asserting that the state’s right to conduct such a survey within a federal system cannot be denied.
The Commission’s advocate further assured the bench that Aadhaar cards are used strictly for identification purposes and no data is extracted directly from them. When pressed by the bench, the advocate reiterated that, unlike a general census, individuals face no compulsion to provide information during this particular survey.
With arguments still ongoing, the bench adjourned the hearing until September 24.
Central to the petitioners’ challenge is the argument that this survey essentially functions as a “caste census,” a mandate that constitutionally falls under the Union government’s purview. They contend that the State government lacks the legislative or executive authority to undertake such an exercise, conducting what they perceive as a caste census under the guise of a social and educational survey.
The Petitioners
The batch of petitions challenging the survey has been filed by several organizations and individuals, including the Rajya Vokkaliga Sangha, Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Mahasabha, Uday Shankar B.R. and eight other members of the Akhila Karnataka Veerashaiva-Lingyata Mahasabha of Karnataka, as well as advocate K.N. Subba Reddy and three other members from the Vokkaliga community.