Karnataka Schools Revise Timings For Ongoing Social and Educational Survey

Karnataka schools revise timings to help teachers complete ongoing caste census work. (Representative/File)

The ongoing Social and Educational Survey, commonly known as the ‘caste census’, which was set to conclude on Tuesday, is likely to be extended, according to a memo issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy.

The department has also decided to change school timings once they reopen after the Dasara holidays on October 8, to help teachers complete their assigned survey work.

In Greater Bengaluru, government and aided schools will function from 8 am to 1 pm between October 8 and 24. Teachers appointed as enumerators will carry out the survey work after school hours during this period.

In the rest of Karnataka, all government and aided schools will follow the same 8 am to 1 pm schedule from October 8 to 12.

The memo, dated October 6, cites a letter from the Backward Classes Welfare Department, which mentioned that more time is needed to complete the survey.

It stated that the decision to alter school timings has been taken “in the academic interest of students and to ensure that classes do not suffer due to the survey, after the mid-year vacations.”

The survey, conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, began on September 22 and was initially scheduled to end on October 7.

Officials said the survey in Greater Bengaluru was delayed at the request of local authorities to allow time for training and preparation, and it is currently in progress.

A formal announcement from the Commission regarding the extension of the survey is expected soon.

The massive exercise, being conducted at an estimated cost of Rs 420 crore, uses a 60-question questionnaire and is said to be carried out scientifically, officials added.

The government had earlier spent Rs 165.51 crore on a similar Social and Educational Survey in 2015, which was later discarded.

(With inputs from PTI)