Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that the Social-Economic and Academic Survey, also known as the Caste Census, will now be completed by October 19. To facilitate the extension, the Chief Minister has declared holidays for government schools across the state, enabling teachers to focus entirely on the enumeration work.
Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah confirmed the survey, which began on September 2, remains incomplete in several districts despite the original deadline, which expired on October 7. He cited initial "technical glitches" and wide variations in progress: "While 97 per cent of the survey work has been completed in Koppal, only about 67 pc has been completed in Mangaluru district."
Following a request from Congress Legislative Council member Puttanna and the teachers' association, the government granted holidays for government-aided schools until October 18, accounting for eight working days of leave. Lecturers of pre-university colleges, however, have been exempted from the survey due to the ongoing II PUC mid-term examinations.
The Chief Minister specifically highlighted the low completion rate in Bengaluru (36 pc), issuing a directive that the enumeration in the city must be completed before Naraka Chaturdashi (Diwali). He noted that the lower rate was partly due to late starts in some areas of Greater Bengaluru following election commission duties. Siddaramaiah issued a warning that the government would take disciplinary action against any personnel who "refuse or hesitate" to participate in the mandatory survey work.
The Chief Minister also announced that the government will provide compensation of ₹20 lakh each to the families of three teachers who tragically died while on survey duty. Complementing the decision, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar assured the public that special classes would be conducted to cover the syllabus and compensate for the holidays, guaranteeing that "students won't miss out on anything academically."
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