8 months ago
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The linking of caste particulars with Aadhaar, ration cards, energy RR numbers, mobile numbers, and geo-tagging of households arsenic portion of the Social and Educational Survey, being conducted by the State authorities done the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, violates the cardinal close to privateness nether Article 21, it was argued earlier the High Court of Karnataka connected Tuesday (September 23, 2025).
However, the Commission informed the Court that determination is nary compulsion connected radical to disclose accusation to the enumerators during the survey.
These submissions were made earlier a part seat comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Joshi during the proceeding connected a batch of petitions, which person questioned the legality of the survey, connected the contented of plea of the petitioners to enactment the survey till the tribunal decides the petitions finally.
“The information collected is stored digitally and tin beryllium hacked oregon leaked, oregon published without the cognition of the idiosyncratic acrophobic and the Government Order reveals that the State intends to geo-tag each household, delegate a Unique Household ID, and nexus caste particulars with Aadhaar numbers, ration cards, mobile numbers, and energy (RR) connections, each without the backing of immoderate circumstantial legislation,” it was argued.
Unlike the Census Act, 1948, which provides for intent limitation, confidentiality, information retention norms, and penal consequences for misuse, the impugned State process is purely executive, lacking statutory safeguards, it has been contended connected behalf of the petitioners portion claiming that digitally collected information cannot beryllium reversed.
Government’s claim
However, the State authorities has contended that it is “not a caste census”, portion terming the assertion of the petitioners arsenic “mis-characterisation” of the survey. It was argued that the State authorities is collecting information lone to place the eligible persons to supply benefits nether assorted schemes and it cannot beryllium denied specified a close nether national system.
Meanwhile, the Commission’s advocator told the seat that Aadhaar cards are being utilized lone to place the persons and the Commission is not collecting immoderate information from their Aadhaar. To a query by the bench, the Commission’s advocator said that determination is nary compulsion connected the radical to disclose the accusation during the contiguous survey dissimilar during the wide census.
As the arguments remained inconclusive, the seat adjourned further proceeding till September 24.
The petitioners person chiefly contended that the projected survey amounted to “caste census”, which fell exclusively wrong the domain of the Union authorities nether the provisions of the Constitution of India, and that the State authorities lacked legislative oregon enforcement competence to behaviour the exercise.
The petitioners person besides alleged that the State authorities has embarked connected “caste census”, which the State authorities is not authorised to undertake arsenic per the law provisions, successful the guise of societal and acquisition survey.
The petitioners
The petitions were filed by Rajya Vokkaliga Sangha, Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Mahasabha, Uday Shankar B.R. and 8 different members of the Akhila Karnataka Veerashaiva-Lingyata Mahasabha of Karnataka, advocator K.N. Subba Reddy, and 3 others from the Vokkaliga community, among others.
