All schools to remain shut till October 18 to finish caste survey: Karnataka CM

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has announced a holiday for government and government-aided schools in the state from October 8 to 18. The break will allow teachers participating in the ongoing Social and Educational Survey, commonly known as the 'caste survey', to complete their assigned duties.

The caste survey, which began on September 22, was initially scheduled to conclude on October 7. However, due to delays in several districts, the chief minister, along with other officials, decided to extend it by another 10 days.

"For example, in the Koppal district, 97 per cent of the survey has been completed. The survey was 63% and 60% complete in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, respectively. In the entire state, the survey has not been completed as we expected," Siddaramaiah said in a meeting.

In Bengaluru, only 34% of the survey has been completed, and 6,700 teachers are participating in the work.

The Karnataka Primary and Secondary School Teachers’ Association and Congress MLC Puttanna had requested additional time for teachers to complete the survey, Siddaramaiah said.

"They told me they would need at least 10 days to finish the work. Accordingly, the education department issued an order regarding holidays after consulting the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes."

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Karnataka: 1.6 lakh people engaged for caste survey

Notably, 1.6 lakh people, including 1.2 lakh teachers and 40,000 other government employees, have been engaged for the survey. The chief minister said the survey will take only eight working days, ending on October 18.

Furthermore, teachers involved in PUC 2 mid-term examinations at Pre-University Colleges will be exempted from the survey work.

CM has announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh each to three staff members who died during the survey work. He also warned of disciplinary action against teachers and government employees who intentionally do not take part in the survey.

The deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, who accompanied Siddaramaiah, added that special classes will be arranged for students so there is no loss of school hours. "Teachers have given this in writing," he added.

The Karnataka government will spend Rs 420 crore on the survey, aiming to understand the socio-economic and educational status of people in Karnataka to frame future policies.