The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Panel asks private firms for data on caste

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 06, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Panel asks private firms for data on caste

Bageshree S.

Reminders sent to some big names in the private sector

Companies asked to collect information from employees
Caste census will determine social backwardness on 60 parameters

Bangalore: In the first-ever effort at gauging representation of various strata of society in privately-owned institutions, the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission has sent letters to 177 private companies seeking data on the caste and religious backgrounds of their employees.

This will form the secondary source of data for the proposed caste-based census in Karnataka, which will be held by the commission in April and May this year.

The list of companies includes Infosys, Wipro, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, Del and MindTree Consulting Ltd.

Extended deadline

Although the commission had given end of May as the deadline to companies for furnishing information, a number of them are yet to respond. It has now sent reminders to all of them, giving them time till the end of this month to provide data.

“Some have said they do not have the information on caste and religion since the recruitment is not made on that basis. We have asked them to gather information and then hand it over to us,” said C.S. Dwarakanath, chairperson of the commission. “This is the only method through which we can assess how the principle of social justice works in private companies.”

This was important for the census in the light of the changing dynamics of the job market where private institutions were playing a big role. “There are households in which all members are employed in the private sector,” he added. The commission has sought similar data from all State Government departments numbering over 120, besides about 80 educational and research institutions falling in the State. These include the Indian Institute of Science and National Law School of India University.

Summons

“If information on caste and religion is not provided, the commission can send summons because it has the authority of a civil court,” said Mr. Dwarakanath. The caste-based census, long overdue and postponed several times since 2005, will be conducted in the State in April and May. Such an exercise was last conducted in 1931 across the country by the British. Karnataka would be the first State to take up a survey after 77 years.

The caste-based census is expected to provide a scientific basis for determining backwardness as it will measure backwardness on 60 social and educational parameters.

It will entail a door-to-door survey of 1.18 crore households by one lakh enumerators. Of these, 58,000 will be teachers and the rest postgraduate students of Sociology, Political Science and Social Work.

The budget for the census was released in 2005 by the State (Rs. 2 crore) and the Centre (Rs. 22.5 crore). Chief Minister B.S. Yedyurappa recently agreed to provide an additional grant of Rs. 17.5 crore for the purpose.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka