Bengaluru The state government’s ongoing Social, Economic and Educational Survey—commonly known as the caste census—has reached its final stages, with participation from citizens and several political leaders. However, Infosys founder N.R. Narayan Murthy and author Sudha Murty have chosen not to take part in the survey, citing personal reasons.
In a letter to the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, the Murthy couple stated that they “do not belong to any backward community” and therefore the survey would be of “no use” to the government in their case. They further added that due to personal reasons, they were unwilling to share their details and hence would not participate.
Recently, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and his family took part in the enumeration process at their residence in Sadashivanagar, Bengaluru, where questions related to religion and caste were asked. Shivakumar, however, appeared displeased over the lengthy questioning, remarking that there were “too many questions.”
Meanwhile, senior advocate B.V. Acharya had earlier opined that it would be better for citizens to avoid participation, warning that personal data could be misused.
The caste survey, launched to collect comprehensive socio-economic data, has sparked intense debate across Karnataka over privacy, political motives, and its potential impact on reservation policies.
