Schoolteachers in Belagavi are taking a stand, boycotting duties for the Social and Educational Survey. They argue their assignments are arbitrary and plagued by technical issues.
The Karnataka State Primary Teachers Association has formally appealed to the government, stating they would resume duties if exemptions are granted to elderly, sick, pregnant, and disabled educators.
Beyond exemptions, the teachers are also pressing the state government to urgently resolve persistent technical issues and mobile network problems that are hindering the enumerators’ work.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, teacher representatives voiced their frustration. They highlighted that senior officials from both the Social Welfare and Education departments issued deputation orders without any prior consultation or obtaining their consent.
Their protest escalated on Tuesday with a demonstration outside the Tahsildar office, where they submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner. A significant number of teachers continued to abstain from duty on Wednesday, refusing to report for the survey.
Teachers emphasized that established rules explicitly state employees over 58, those with illnesses, disabilities, or pregnant individuals should not be assigned duties outside of teaching and administration. Yet, these regulations, they claim, are being completely disregarded. Shockingly, the list of enumerators even includes names of deceased individuals and those who retired on September 30. Furthermore, many teachers have been assigned to areas far from their homes or schools, creating considerable inconvenience.
Babu Sogalannavar, President of the city unit of the State Primary School Teachers Association, pointed out that the enumeration process would be far more efficient if teachers were deployed closer to their residences or schools.
“This sensible approach hasn’t been adopted,” he stated. “On top of that, many enumerators are struggling with issues related to the mobile application and unreliable network connectivity.”
“We are not fundamentally opposed to the survey itself,” Sogalannavar clarified. “However, if these systemic problems are not rectified, we will simply not participate.”
Jayakumar Hebbali, District President of the State Primary School Teachers Association, reiterated the demand for teachers to be assigned census duties within their usual work areas.
“We provided a comprehensive list requesting exemptions for teachers above 58, those with disabilities, pregnant women, and individuals facing severe health challenges. Our requests, however, were ignored,” he lamented.
Hebbali added that while the Education Department appears sympathetic to providing exemptions, the Social Welfare Department remains unwilling, which is the core reason for their ongoing protest.