Narayana Murthy, Sudha Murthy Refuse To Participate In Karnataka Socio-Economic Survey

Last Updated:October 16, 2025, 06:12 IST

Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murthy declined Karnataka's caste census, citing irrelevance. The survey faces resistance, technical issues, and slow progress in Bengaluru.

Infosys founder Narayana Murthy (File Photo)

Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and author-philanthropist Sudha Murthy have declined to participate in the Karnataka government’s socio-economic survey.

The Karnataka caste census, now underway across the state, includes 60 main questions and 20 sub-questions, designed by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes.

When approached by survey officials, the Murthy couple stated they do not wish to be part of it. They said that they do not belong to any backward category and hence, the survey would not be of any use to the government in their case. Their written response was submitted directly on the survey form provided by the officials.

The survey, meanwhile, has run into a string of problems just a week after its launch in Bengaluru.

From people saying they are being forced to participate in the census when they don’t want to, to teachers complaining of being overworked, the process has hit another roadblock as a section of residents refuses to cooperate.

“They came to my house, I did not want to answer. But the teacher who came insisted. I firmly said no. Now she says her salary will be reduced or action will be taken against me if I don’t complete it. It felt like emotional blackmail," said a resident of North Bengaluru, Hebbal.

The socio-economic caste census is expected to provide critical data for social, educational, and political strategy in Karnataka. As the survey unfolds in Bengaluru, the state is confronted with a stark reality: implementing a large-scale, tech-driven census in a sprawling, diverse city is far more complex than anticipated with a questionnaire that is being called “way too long".

Even Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who participated in the census on the first day it was launched in Bengaluru, pulled up the officials as he found it long and tedious, asking enumerators to simplify the process.

“There are too many questions. I told them to ask fewer questions. People have no patience in cities," Shivakumar said, highlighting the challenges of conducting such a comprehensive enumeration in urban areas.

While the state reports that 85.89% of houses have been surveyed statewide, the process in the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) area is moving much slower, with only 19.62% of houses covered so far. Officials and enumerators are grappling with logistical challenges, technical glitches, and resistance from residents, casting a shadow over the state’s ambitious plan to complete the survey in 15 days.

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