<p>Bengaluru: The ongoing social and educational survey has a set of additional questions exploring different dimensions of social, economic and educational backwardness, though a question on court cases in the family has raised concerns.</p><p>The booklet comprises 60 questions and around 20 sub-questions. It is heavily influenced by the one used during the previous survey overseen by the H Kantharaj-led Backward Classes Commission in 2015 (that questionnaire is said to have been prepared during the tenure of the CS Dwarkanath-led Commission), with nearly 50 questions being similar. </p><p>However, even when the questions are similar, the new questionnaire has some additional sub-questions that were absent in the Kantharaj survey.</p><p>For instance, while the earlier questionnaire had just one question on disability, the current questionnaire goes further, asking the UDID number, disability certificate in the absence of UDID number, whether disability equipment is being used in daily activities and so on.</p>.Enumerators roping in family members for Karnataka Social and Educational Survey work.<p>There are also questions about computer literacy and whether any family was displaced for any reason. These questions are intended to obtain more details on the social and educational development of different communities.</p><p><strong>Query on court cases</strong></p><p>The question about court cases has raised concerns that it violates privacy and may be harmful. However, the High Court has made it clear that participation in the survey is voluntary, and that it’s not compulsory to answer all questions.</p> <p>“What’s the relevance of having that question in court cases? Does it have any social, educational, economic and political parameters?? This shouldn’t have been there,” said C S Dwarakanath, former backward classes commission chairman.</p><p>Dwarkanath’s opinion was also shared by another expert, who was involved with an earlier backward classes commission. However, this expert felt that other questions, such as whether a family has NRIs, are also important to understand the social mobility and situation of a community.</p><p><strong>Commission’s defence</strong></p><p>Speaking to <em>DH</em> about the controversial question, Backward Classes Commission Chairman Madhusudan R Naik explained that it was a welfare measure. “There’s a free legal aid cell in High Courts and district courts to help people obtain legal advice. However, lawyers don’t mention this since it affects their profession. This question is to create awareness in society,” he added.</p> <p>Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka on Sunday had linked the question on income with the state’s finance, adding that details on income would be used to remove people from the ration card list. He asked people to be cautious about such questions.</p><p>However, Bengaluru DC G Jagadeesha had clarified on Monday that ration cards won’t be removed. Also, the question on income was part of the 2015 survey.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The ongoing social and educational survey has a set of additional questions exploring different dimensions of social, economic and educational backwardness, though a question on court cases in the family has raised concerns.</p><p>The booklet comprises 60 questions and around 20 sub-questions. It is heavily influenced by the one used during the previous survey overseen by the H Kantharaj-led Backward Classes Commission in 2015 (that questionnaire is said to have been prepared during the tenure of the CS Dwarkanath-led Commission), with nearly 50 questions being similar. </p><p>However, even when the questions are similar, the new questionnaire has some additional sub-questions that were absent in the Kantharaj survey.</p><p>For instance, while the earlier questionnaire had just one question on disability, the current questionnaire goes further, asking the UDID number, disability certificate in the absence of UDID number, whether disability equipment is being used in daily activities and so on.</p>.Enumerators roping in family members for Karnataka Social and Educational Survey work.<p>There are also questions about computer literacy and whether any family was displaced for any reason. These questions are intended to obtain more details on the social and educational development of different communities.</p><p><strong>Query on court cases</strong></p><p>The question about court cases has raised concerns that it violates privacy and may be harmful. However, the High Court has made it clear that participation in the survey is voluntary, and that it’s not compulsory to answer all questions.</p> <p>“What’s the relevance of having that question in court cases? Does it have any social, educational, economic and political parameters?? This shouldn’t have been there,” said C S Dwarakanath, former backward classes commission chairman.</p><p>Dwarkanath’s opinion was also shared by another expert, who was involved with an earlier backward classes commission. However, this expert felt that other questions, such as whether a family has NRIs, are also important to understand the social mobility and situation of a community.</p><p><strong>Commission’s defence</strong></p><p>Speaking to <em>DH</em> about the controversial question, Backward Classes Commission Chairman Madhusudan R Naik explained that it was a welfare measure. “There’s a free legal aid cell in High Courts and district courts to help people obtain legal advice. However, lawyers don’t mention this since it affects their profession. This question is to create awareness in society,” he added.</p> <p>Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka on Sunday had linked the question on income with the state’s finance, adding that details on income would be used to remove people from the ration card list. He asked people to be cautious about such questions.</p><p>However, Bengaluru DC G Jagadeesha had clarified on Monday that ration cards won’t be removed. Also, the question on income was part of the 2015 survey.</p>