Edu dept not to depute teachers for caste survey
Photo for representational purpose.
Credit: DH File Photo
Residents expressed anguish over the ongoing socio-educational survey (caste census), with data privacy and the enumeration process itself emerging as concerns.
Many fear being left out, especially those from other states, sparking questions about the survey’s efficacy.
Suman, an IT professional from West Bengal settled in Bengaluru for the last 13 years, said a lot of people were afraid as they were not aware of the process.
Enumerators who come for the survey don’t give proper explanation and seek details in a demanding tone, he said.
“People are skeptical about disclosing their identity,” Suman said. As his Aadhaar card is registered in Bengaluru address, he got enumerated.
But most of his friends who have been residing in the city for a few years now, but have their address proof in their respective states, fear being left out of the survey, he said.
Another resident said, “A host of privacy concerns prevail among the people. They are concerned about how data will be used. Some cite a court order, that said giving information is voluntary. So, I assume that there is some hesitation in giving data”.
The enumeration process is hampered by wider public concerns. Krishna Kumar, a professional from Kerala, highlighted that many citizens were either unaware of or skeptical about disclosing their identity due to privacy concerns.
“Those of us who have moved to Bengaluru for work feel we are invisible to the system. Our address proof is at home, but our livelihood is here. When the enumerator finds us, we are told we might be left out because our details don’t match. This makes us fear that the survey is a tool for exclusion, not inclusion,” said another resident with non-local ID proof.