Tue Apr 15 22:04:37 UTC 2025: ## Karnataka Survey Reveals 1,821 Castes and Sub-castes

**Bengaluru, April 16, 2025** – A socio-economic and educational survey conducted in Karnataka in 2015 by the H. Kantharaj Commission has revealed the existence of 1,821 castes and sub-castes within the state. While the initial survey identified 1,351, an additional 470 were added, primarily attributed to migration from other states. Many of these new castes identified themselves by their origin state or language, including groups such as Solanki, Sood, and Punjabi Jat, as well as those identifying as Odia, Malayalam, Gujarati, Rajasthani, Punjabi, and Nepali. 398 caste names remain unidentified.

The survey, covering 15.19% of the state’s population (approximately 5.98 crore), also provided a detailed breakdown of minority communities. Muslims constitute the largest minority group, with 76.99 lakh individuals (12.87% of those surveyed) across 101 sub-castes. Christians followed with 9.47 lakh individuals (1.58%) encompassing 57 sub-sects. Other minority groups included Jains (0.701%), Buddhists (0.017%), Parsis (0.001%), and Neo Buddhists (less than 0.001%). The survey also noted 12,865 individuals identifying as Scheduled Castes converted to Christianity and 1,079 Anglo-Indians. The unidentified castes represent a small fraction (0.006%) of the surveyed population.

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