Under pressure from teachers’ associations, the Karnataka government on Tuesday announced an extension of Dasara holidays for government and aided schools till October 18 to facilitate the completion of the ongoing Social and Educational Survey being conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes.
The survey, which began last month, was scheduled to end on Tuesday, with schools reopening on Wednesday after the holidays. However, following representations from teachers who expressed difficulty in managing both academic duties and survey responsibilities, the government decided to postpone school reopening by eight working days.
Decision after talks with teachers’ representatives
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, after a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Congress MLC Puttanna, and representatives of teachers’ associations, confirmed the decision to extend the holidays.
“Survey work has not been completed in all districts. While Koppal has achieved 97% of its target, in Dakshina Kannada, it is around 67%. Based on requests from teachers, we have extended the deadline till October 18,” Mr. Siddaramaiah told reporters in Bengaluru.
He added that the lost working days will be compensated through special classes after schools reopen. The Chief Minister also warned of disciplinary action against teachers who refuse to participate in the survey work.
Survey participation and progress
According to government data, the survey has so far covered 1.19 crore households, out of the total 1.43 crore across Karnataka. This translates to an overall coverage rate of 67.28%.
Excluding the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) region, the coverage stands at 83.2%, while the GBA’s progress is only 10.4%, with 4.12 lakh households surveyed out of 39.82 lakh.
Mr. Shivakumar said that 90% of rural areas have shown strong cooperation, while the GBA region has lagged behind as work started later.
Teachers’ associations’ plea accepted
The Karnataka State Primary School Teachers’ Association had submitted a petition seeking a 10-day extension of the Dasara holidays, allowing its members to complete their assigned survey work.
Teachers had earlier opposed the government order requiring them to teach until 1 p.m. and continue survey work in the afternoon, calling it “unmanageable.”
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that 1.6 lakh enumerators, including 1.2 lakh teachers, are participating in the massive exercise. In Bengaluru, about 6,700 teachers have been assigned to survey 10–15 households each and are expected to finish before Naraka Chaturdashi (October 20).
Exemption for PU lecturers and compensation announced
The Chief Minister also announced that pre-university lecturers will be exempted from survey duties since mid-term examinations begin on October 12.
In a gesture of support, the government declared ₹20 lakh compensation for the families of three teachers who died while carrying out survey-related duties.
Conclusion
With the extended deadline and additional support measures, the Karnataka government aims to complete the caste-based survey before the festive season concludes. Officials hope the extension will ensure full coverage across districts without compromising academic schedules once schools reopen.