Karnataka High Court.
Social, economic and educational survey of castes has started across the state amid confusion in Karnataka. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, public interest petitions challenged the survey were heard in the High Court bench. The government and the Commission tried to respond to the objections raised by many people including the members of the State Vokkaliga Union, Akhit Karnataka Brahmin Mahasabha, Veerashaiv Lingayat Mahasabha.
The bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Joshi held a hearing for about two hours on Wednesday and adjourned the hearing till yesterday (25 September).
Abhishek Manu Singhvi during hearing Karnataka Argued by the government. They said that The petitioners have not questioned Article 342A (3) of the Constitution. The petitioners have not demanded a ban on sections 9 and 11 of the Backward Classes Act. The petitioners have not told what was wrong in the survey? Therefore, he argued that the survey should not be stopped.
High court asked the government questions
The petitioners have not said that the government does not have the right to conduct a survey, but the petitioners have questioned the method of survey. It is alleged that religion has also been included in the castes. The court questioned the government on the allegation that proper classification was not done before publishing the caste list.
He said that you cannot remove flaws without collecting data. You cannot make plans without collecting caste data. If there is any lapse in the survey, then it should be questioned, but they are questioning it before the survey starts. Since the petitioner has not told how the survey is wrong, the adjournment order should not be issued.
They said thatThe survey is being done to identify backward people and provide benefits to them. Gathering information for this is not a violation of fundamental right. It may take five to six years for the central government to conduct caste survey. He clarified that this does not mean that states should not conduct caste survey until then.
ASG Arvind Kamath puts the center of the center
The government is census in the name of survey. The central government will also conduct caste census along with census. If all the states conduct separate survey then there will be a problem. There should be no contradiction in the Central and State Surveys. The central government will start caste census itself in 2027. It is not mandatory for people to answer in the state survey. He told the back, “What is the benefit of conducting such survey.”
Caste list has been allowed to be prepared in the Indira Sahni case. Even if it is not for reservation, data may be required to provide benefits. Is your demand that the number of questions asked during the survey be reduced from 60 to 5? Are you saying that not every household should be surveyed?
They said thatThey are conducting survey without classification of caste. What is the need to conduct a survey by going to the rich house in Bengaluru? Arvind Kamath, who is representing the central government, clarified that the government is doing a census in the name of survey. How did the government define 1561 castes? What steps were taken for caste classification?
Now the hearing will be held tomorrow, people are eyeing
Ravi Verma Kumar argued on behalf of the Commission. They said that There is a difference between census and socio-economic survey. The survey collects more detailed information than the census. Answer in the survey can be given voluntarily. It is mandatory to provide details to the people during the census.
The data collected in the survey can be judicial review. It has been argued that judicial review of census data cannot be done. Finally, due to lack of time, the High Court has postponed the hearing till tomorrow. Tomorrow the debate will be completed and the High Court will decide whether the survey should be stopped or not.
