The Karnataka High Court Thursday declined to “interdict” the ongoing socioeconomic survey supervised by the state Backward Classes Commission, while also mandating that the data collected is to be properly protected and that it should be made clear that providing data for the said survey is voluntary. The matter is being heard by a bench consisting of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Joshi.

The various petitioners in the matter, including Brahmin, Vokkaliga and Lingayat groups, have contended over hearings during the past week that, while also being unconstitutional, the entire exercise is beyond the competence of the state government. They have reasoned that the socioeconomic survey is effectively a census and that state governments are not empowered to conduct a census. They

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