Karnataka caste survey: Panel keen on Dasara launch

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Backward Classes Commission is keen on taking up the fresh social and educational survey (caste census) during the upcoming Dasara holidays, when teachers will be free from school duties.

In an exclusive interview with DH, the chairperson of the Backward Classes Commission, Madhusudan R Naik, said teachers should be the first choice for the role of enumerators and the commission would seek an extension of the holidays to free up teachers.

“Utilising government and aided teachers for such surveys has been a time-tested method. We are in the process of preparing a package, which includes a possible request to extend the 15-day Dasara holidays by another 10 days,” he said.

A proposal in this regard would be sent to the state government soon, he added.

By then, the commission is expected to complete its preliminary work, which includes making changes to the existing questionnaire. The government intends to complete the survey within three months from the date of the government order, which is yet to be issued.

The government decided on the fresh survey after it set aside the Kantharaj Commission survey of 2015. Considered Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s pet project, the survey and its report, submitted by the Jayaprakash Hegde Commission, were junked recently. Siddaramaiah had pointed out that it was the decision of the High Command, and it was also widely reported in the media that there was pressure from different quarters.

Explaining the rationale behind appointing teachers as enumerators, Naik pointed out that teachers command respect from the general public.

"Teachers are more honest, educated, committed to social service and have integrity. Thus, they should be the first choice. Even when there were complaints during the recent SCs survey, the concerned enumerators were not teachers." The complaints were in the last phase of the survey, by then the teachers had gone back to schools.

In case the proposal to extend the Dasara holidays isn't accepted, the commission may have to outsource the survey to other agencies, or involve Asha workers and bill collectors.

Last month, School Education Minister S Madhu Bangarappa had said that the government was planning to outsource the survey work as deployment of teachers for the survey would disrupt academic hours.

However, the commission feels the absence of teachers will compromise the integrity and sanctity of the survey.

The commission is also exploring options to incentivise the process, which may help it obtain the services of teachers. An eventual decision by the government will have to navigate legal complications, which bar the government from utilising the service of teachers during school days.

May use data from SCs’ survey

The commission is also contemplating the use of data from the recently concluded statewide survey of Scheduled Castes (SCs), which was overseen by the one-member commission headed by retired judge H N Nagamohan Das.

Since the Das Commission survey obtained information on Scheduled Castes based on an elaborate questionnaire that sought to know their social and educational conditions, utilising the same data will make the task of the Naik Commission easier. As per estimates, SCs constitute around 1.25 crore of the estimated 6.85 crore population in the state.

The SCs' survey relied on the National Commission on Population, which estimates the population of the state to be 6.85 crore in 2025. Just like the Nagamohan Das Commission, the caste census is also likely to be digitalised.