Second socio-educational survey set to commence on September 22 across Karnataka, barring Greater Bengaluru Authority area

Barring the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) area, the second socio-educational survey being conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes to enumerate a population of seven crore will commence across Karnataka on Monday. In Bengaluru, the enumeration is expected to start after a couple of days owing to administrative issues.

As many as two crore households have been mapped using electricity connections, and the survey is expected to be completed in a fortnight’s time. Over two lakh teachers and others will be involved in the survey, during which enumerators will be approaching the households with a set of 60 questions. Besides the door-to door survey, an option has been provided for the public to participate in the survey online.

With each enumerator given about 140 to 150 households, the commission expects the survey work to be completed in 16 days.

The Aadhaar authentication is being used in the survey to prevent duplication. Ration card numbers will also be sought from the households to quicken the survey process since it automatically gets certain data of the household. “Because the households are geo-tagged, enumeration work can be monitored to check if the enumerator has gone to the household or not. If a house is locked, a sticker would be stuck to inform the residents of the phone numbers they can contact for enumeration,” said commission’s member-secretary K.A. Dayanand.

Delay in Bengaluru

In Bengaluru, the survey will be delayed by a few days. “Our plan is to start from Monday. Owing to a request from GBA authorities, we may be delay the start by a day or two,” commission’s chairman Madhusudan Naik told presspersons here on Sunday. He also indicated that the survey work in Bengaluru could go beyond the October 7 deadline.

According to Mr. Dayanand, households have been mapped and geo-tagged, and owing to administrative convenience time has been sought.

When asked if academic work would not be affected since schools are commencing from October 7, he said that in Bengaluru personnel from various departments are being roped in along with teachers. “We have also not taken many teachers in Bengaluru.”

Earlier survey works have not been completed in Bengaluru area owing to complexities like a lack of interest, working couples, apartments and gated communities not allowing enumerators, among others. While the 2015 socio-educational survey of the H. Kantharaj Commission reached 85% of the estimated population, the recent survey of Scheduled Caste households by the H.N. Nagamohan Das Commission could reach about 54% in Bengaluru.

To make the current survey reach more households, Mr. Dayanand said that the GBA authorities were planning a facility where households could book slots for enumeration. Besides, the commission has provided the option of participating in the survey online using Aadhaar authentication and enumeration work will be closely monitored since it’s geo-tagged.