Karnataka caste census report: Muslim population at 18.08 pc; 8 pc reservation recommended

The controversial caste census report submitted by the Backward Classes Commission to the Congress-led government in Karnataka has pegged the Muslim population in the state at 18.08 per cent and recommends 8 per cent reservation for the community, sources confirmed on Sunday.

- AGENCIES

Currently, Muslims are getting a 4 per cent reservation in the state.

The caste census report was submitted to the state cabinet on Friday (10 April), and the state government is convening a special cabinet meeting on 17 April to decide on the report's recommendations. However, no official statement has been issued to the media regarding the report's contents. Nonetheless, details presented in the cabinet meeting have surfaced in the public domain.

Furthermore, sources confirmed that the caste census report recommends increasing the total reservation to more than 75 per cent in Karnataka. The survey estimates the population of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) at 4.18 crore, Scheduled Castes (SCs) at 1.09 crore, and Scheduled Tribes (STs) at 42.81 lakh.

According to sources, the report indicates that OBC groups constitute about 70 per cent of the state's population.

One of the major recommendations of the report is to increase the reservation quota for OBCs from the current 31 per cent to 51 per cent.