State lacks authority to hold caste census, petitioners argue in Karnataka HCBengaluru: The counsels representing petitioners seeking an interim stay on the Socio-Economic and Academic Survey, commonly referred to as the caste census, on Tuesday, vehemently argued in the High Court that the Congress-led government in Karnataka does not have any authority under the law to conduct such a census. Senior counsel Prabhuling Navadgi, appearing for petitioners, submitted, “The state government has no authority to conduct a survey of backward classes. The Socio-Economic and Academic Survey, known as the caste survey, is being conducted without any legal backing. In Karnataka, the Backward Classes Act has been enacted, but the government is carrying out the caste census under this Act in an illegal manner. Navadgi further submitted that the caste census is being conducted using GPS tagging and electricity meter registration numbers.