Bengaluru, Oct 7 (NationPress) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Tuesday that he will lead a meeting in Bengaluru to determine whether to extend the deadline for the Socio-Economic and Academic Survey, commonly referred to as the caste census.

The current deadline for this census is today, October 7. Speaking to the press in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah stated, “I am organizing a meeting regarding the survey. Immediately after the celebration of Valmiki Jayanti, I will proceed with the review meeting.”

In response to inquiries about the Education Department already issuing a directive to extend teachers’ deputation for conducting the survey, he affirmed that all relevant issues would be addressed during the meeting.

Attendees of the meeting include Madhusudhan R. Naik, the Chairman of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, and senior officials. The Chief Minister is likely to announce a deadline extension following the review.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Government Employees Association has written to Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, requesting that all government primary and high schools in the state be declared on holiday until October 17.

The letter highlighted that the Dusshera holidays for teachers were scheduled from September 20 to October 7, while teachers have been conducting the census since September 22. In Bengaluru, the survey is proceeding amidst confusion, placing teachers under significant physical and mental stress, necessitating rest.

Given that additional time is needed to finalize the Socio-Economic and Academic Survey, the Karnataka Education Department has issued an order to extend teachers’ deputation for enumeration tasks.

The recent directive mandates that teachers conduct classes until 1 p.m. and engage in census activities afterward.

As per the order, teachers are tasked to carry out the caste census within the five municipal corporation limits of Bengaluru until October 24, while the rest of the state is given until October 12. This directive was issued by Surlakar Vikas Kishore, the Commissioner of the School Education Department.

This decision comes in light of schools reopening following the Dusshera festival across the state. Students will have half-day classes until the census is complete. This decision was made at a meeting led by Minister for Education Madhu Bangarappa on Tuesday.

According to the guidelines, teachers are expected to work from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and fulfill their caste census duties post-1 p.m. During this time, students in both government and aided schools will attend only half-day classes.

The Education Department further instructs teachers to continue working even on holidays to ensure the caste census is concluded before October 12, with the exception of Bengaluru.

The caste census commenced in Karnataka on September 22 and is being facilitated by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes (KSCBC). It aims to gather data from approximately seven crore individuals across two crore households utilizing a 60-question format. The government asserts that this survey will aid in policy formulation, outreach to marginalized communities, and their integration into the mainstream.