School Holidays: Karnataka Schools Closed Till Oct 18 Due To ‘Caste Survey’

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday announced a holiday for government and government-aided schools from October 8 to October 18. The decision was made to allow teachers participating in the ongoing social and educational survey, popularly known as the ‘caste survey’, to complete their work. The survey was earlier scheduled to end on October 7 but has now been extended due to uneven progress across districts. (Representative Image/Getty)

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with ministers and officials, Siddaramaiah said, “We were supposed to end the survey on October 7. But in some districts, it is almost completed, while in some districts it was lagging.” The extension aims to ensure that all regions complete their data collection effectively. (File Photo)

Sharing updates on the progress, the chief minister mentioned that Koppal district has achieved a 97 percent completion rate, while Udupi and Dakshina Kannada are at 63 percent and 60 percent, respectively. “Across the state, the survey is not yet fully complete as expected,” he said. The government hopes the 10-day extension will help achieve 100 percent coverage. (PTI File)

Siddaramaiah also announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh each for three staff members who died while on duty during the survey. He added that teachers who are currently conducting mid-term examinations will be exempt from survey duties to prevent any disruption to academic activities. (PTI file)

Earlier in the day, the chief minister clarified that he had no position on the Lingayat community’s demand for separate religious status. His remarks came amid criticism from the opposition BJP, which accused him of trying to divide the Hindu community. (PTI File)

According to officials, each household in the state will be geo-tagged using its electricity meter number and assigned a Unique Household ID (UHID). This ID will help in creating a detailed digital record of every household. (Representational Image)

During the data collection process, ration cards and Aadhaar details will be linked with mobile numbers. To help those not at home during the survey, the government has launched a helpline number (8050770004). Officials added that citizens can also participate online or report any grievances through the same system. (PTI file photo)