BENGALURU: The Socio, Economic and Educational Survey-2025 by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes encountered many hiccups, including a PIL before the high court seeking postponement, and got off to a slow start on its first day on Monday. Enumerators across the state complained that they faced technical glitches including problems in logging on to the mobile application, server issues and lack of proper training.
In Kalaburagi, Ballari, Hubballi, Shivamogga and Haveri districts, the enumerators, who are teachers, faced technical glitches and the survey was delayed.
It did not take off in Bengaluru, except in its rural parts, as enumerators had not been trained because of issues arising out of the capital city being divided into five corporations and an overarching body, the Greater Bengaluru Authority, being formed.
Commission Chairman Madhusudan R Naik, dismissing rumours of the survey getting postponed, expressed confidence that the high court will not interfere in it. “There is no question of postponing the survey. We are (the commission) a legitimate constitutional body. No one can pressure us. Some people have filed a writ petition in the court seeking postponement. The commission has been made a respondent in this petition. The complainant has requested an interim order. We have not added any new caste, nor have we given importance to castes. That is why we think the court will not interfere,” he said.
“We are conducting a social and educational survey. We are not conducting a caste census. Since there is a central government census, some people are creating this misconception that we are conducting a caste census. This may be due to political opposition or misconception. This is betrayal of seven crore people of the state. We will go to court to take action against those spreading such false news,” he said.