The Karnataka government has officially extended the holiday for all government and government-aided schools in the state from October 8 to October 18. This decision, announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, comes as the ongoing Social and Educational Survey (popularly known as the ‘caste survey’) missed its initial deadline and requires more time for completion.
Extension to Facilitate Survey Work
The Social and Educational Survey, which began on September 22, was originally scheduled to conclude on October 7. However, due to significant delays and varying degrees of completion across districts—for instance, Koppal reported 97% completion while Udupi and Dakshina Kannada lagged at 63% and 60% respectively—the government was compelled to extend the deadline.
The extension of the school holiday, which effectively prolongs the Dasara break, is aimed at allowing the approximately 1.2 lakh teachers and other government employees deployed as enumerators to complete the massive door-to-door data collection exercise. The Chief Minister stated that the extension, totaling eight working days of leave, was granted following a request from the Karnataka State Primary and Secondary School Teachers Association.
Key Details and Logistics
- Holiday Period: October 8 to October 18.
- Purpose: To enable teachers to complete the door-to-door enumeration for the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey.
- Exemptions: Teachers involved in mid-term examinations at Pre-University Colleges are exempted from the survey duties.
- Compensation: The government announced a compensation of ₹20 lakh each to the families of three staff members who tragically died while working on the survey.
- Academic Compensation: Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar confirmed that special classes would be arranged to cover the academic syllabus lost due to the extended holiday period, ensuring students don’t suffer academically.
- Survey Deadline: The survey is now expected to be completed statewide by October 18. However, in the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits, where the process started later, the deadline has been extended until October 24.
The multi-crore survey, conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, aims to gather comprehensive data on the socio-economic and educational status of the state’s population, which will be critical for framing future welfare policies.
