Bengaluru, 7 Oct

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday announced a holiday for government and government-aided schools in the state from 8 to 18 October to allow teachers involved in the ongoing Social and Educational Survey—popularly called the ‘caste survey’—to complete the work.

The survey, which began on 22 September, was initially scheduled to conclude on Tuesday. However, due to delays in several districts, the chief minister, along with his cabinet colleagues, decided to extend it by another 10 days.

"We were supposed to end the survey work on October 7. But in some districts, the survey is almost completed, while in some districts it is lagging," Siddaramaiah told reporters here after a meeting with ministers and officials.

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

In Bengaluru, only 34 per cent of the survey has been completed, he said, adding that 6,700 teachers are participating in the work.

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

"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," he said.

He noted that 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 18 October. Teachers involved in mid-term examinations at Pre-University Colleges will be exempt from the survey work.

Siddaramaiah also announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh each to three staff members who died during the survey work.

He warned of disciplinary action against teachers and government employees who intentionally do not take part in the survey.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who accompanied Siddaramaiah, said special classes will be arranged for students so there is no loss of school hours. "Teachers have given this in writing," he added.

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