Karnataka Cabinet Accepts Caste Census Report, Recommends 51% Reservation for OBCs

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Bengaluru, April 12, 2025: The Karnataka government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has officially accepted the long-awaited socioeconomic and educational survey report—commonly referred to as the caste census. The report was presented before the state cabinet on April 11 and recommends a significant increase in reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to 51 percent.

According to the findings, OBCs constitute approximately 70 percent of Karnataka’s population, amounting to 4.16 crore people out of a surveyed population of 5.98 crore. Currently, the state provides 32 percent reservation across various OBC categories.

The survey, conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, was initially commissioned in 2015 under the leadership of H. Kantharaj and later completed under the current chairman, K. Jayaprakash Hegde. The final report was submitted in 2024.

Sources indicate that not all cabinet ministers have had the opportunity to examine the report in detail. A more comprehensive discussion is expected during the upcoming cabinet meeting scheduled for April 17.
Detailed Recommendations:

The report proposes a revised quota system within the OBC classification, breaking down the 51 percent reservation as follows:
    6% for Category 1A: Comprising 8.4% of the population (34.96 lakh people)

    12% for Category 1B: 17.74% of the population (73.92 lakh)

    10% for Category 2A: 18.7% of the population (77.78 lakh)

    8% for Category 2B (Socially and educationally backward Muslims): 18.08% of the population (75.25 lakh)

    7% for Category 3A: 17.53% of the population (72.99 lakh)

    8% for Category 3B: 19.55% of the population (81.37 lakh)

In addition to data on OBCs, the report provides a demographic overview of other social groups in Karnataka. It states that the Scheduled Castes (SC) account for 1.09 crore, Scheduled Tribes (ST) comprise 42.81 lakh, and communities identified under the general category represent 29.74 lakh of the population.

The acceptance of the caste census marks a significant policy shift and is expected to have wide-ranging implications for reservation policies in Karnataka. The state government is likely to take further action based on deliberations in the upcoming cabinet session.