Karnataka’s second Social and Educational Survey, widely referred to as the caste census, demonstrated a significant uptick in activity within Mysuru district on its second day, Tuesday. Following a slower start on Monday, where only 15 households were covered across the entire district (with just one in Mysuru taluk), Tuesday saw a rapid acceleration.
By Tuesday afternoon, the number of enumerated households had soared to 260, with projections indicating it would approach 500 by day’s end. This surge suggests a successful mobilization effort and increased public participation.
Raghavendra, the Mysuru district Backward Classes and Minority officer, confirmed that nearly 90% of the 5,143 enumerators assigned to Mysuru district have received their complete kits. These kits include essential booklets for the survey and stickers to mark completed households, streamlining the data collection process.
The extensive survey aims to collect responses to 60 questions from an estimated 10.12 lakh households throughout the district. To manage this monumental task, 258 supervisors are overseeing the enumerators, with each supervisor responsible for guiding 20 field workers.
Despite minor technical challenges, such as issues with the mobile phone application and One Time Password generation, officials are actively addressing and rectifying these problems. Mr. Raghavendra, who personally joined enumerators on Monday, observed that the public has been “proactive” and cooperative in providing the necessary information.
The entire operation is under close scrutiny by officials from the Department of Backward Classes and Minorities in Bengaluru. They are meticulously tracking the progress of this vital caste census, conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, by compiling detailed taluk-wise updates.