'Not backward class': Narayana Murthy, Sudha skip Karnataka caste survey
What's the story
Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy and his wife Sudha Murty have opted out of the ongoing Social and Educational Survey in Karnataka. The couple politely informed enumerators who visited their Jayanagar residence that they do not want the survey conducted at their home. They also clarified that they don't belong to any backward class community, making their participation in this government exercise unnecessary.
Official statements
Written declaration
In their self-attested letter to the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission, they reiterated that "we do not belong to the backward class." "We are economically, socially, and educationally advanced. In this case, there is no benefit to the government or the backward class by getting our information. The basic purpose of this survey is to identify the backward class and provide them facilities. Therefore, it is right for us not to participate in it," they wrote.
Deputy CM
Shivakumar responds
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar reacted to their decision by saying participation is voluntary and cannot be forced upon anyone. The Karnataka caste census, which is currently being conducted across the state, has 60 major questions and 20 sub-questions created by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes. In Bengaluru alone, around 15.42 lakh houses have been covered thus far. However, it is still unclear how many households have declined to participate.
Court
Court's order
The Karnataka High Court, in its interim order, had earlier directed the state government to clarify that participation in the socio-economic and education survey is not mandatory. It also ordered that all collected data be kept confidential and accessible only to the Backward Classes Commission. The court emphasized that collecting such information does not violate citizens' rights but aims to benefit backward classes.