Karnataka extends Social and Educational Survey amid complaints and delays

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The Karnataka government has extended the deadline for the ongoing Social and Educational Survey following widespread complaints from citizens, technical glitches, and the slow pace of enumeration across several districts. 

Originally scheduled to end on October 7, the exercise will now continue up to October 18 in the state and up to October 24 in the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) area, The Hindu reported. 

The Commissioner of Public Instruction issued an order on October 6 revising school timings and asking teachers to conduct classes from 8 am to 1 pm during the extended period to ensure both teaching and survey work continue smoothly. 

Since the start of the survey on September 22, surveyors have reported a range of logistical and social challenges that have slowed down data collection. The BJP and independent advocacy groups too had cautioned that the government’s decision to complete the survey by October 7 was hasty as the survey coincided with the Dasara vacation and was also too short a period of time. 

Enumerators in rural and hilly regions have reported connectivity problems that have made it difficult to upload data on time, while in many urban areas, residents have either refused to participate or expressed discomfort with sharing personal information, particularly Aadhaar-based authentication details.

The government had appointed around 1.8 lakh teachers across the state for the survey and each had been allotted about 150 houses. 

According to latest data, the survey had covered around 80% of the 1.43 crore households in the state. 

The Congress government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has defended the survey conducted by the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission (KSBCC) as a crucial step towards building an accurate socio-economic database that will guide welfare and reservation policies. 

The survey has also faced legal scrutiny. In a recent order, the Karnataka High Court declined to halt the exercise but made it clear that participation must be voluntary and that personal data collected by the Commission should not be shared with any other government departments.