A week after it began on September 22, amid criticism from several quarters, including opposition parties and religious leaders of dominant communities, the Karnataka Government’s ambitious Socio-Economic and Educational survey – also known as the caste survey – is yet to gain the required momentum to meet the October 7 deadline.
The exercise of gathering detailed information from over 1.5 crore households in the state, which started without adequate preparation, including proper training and testing the system on the ground, has put enumerators under pressure. In the efforts to meet political objectives, those in power appear to be glossing over glitches and realities on the field. In the process, the very credibility of the exercise could come under question, as was the case with a similar survey a decade ago.
Many involved in the survey say the government refuses to acknowledge the practical difficulties, while some even accuse it of riding roughshod over teachers by issuing warnings of action against them. It seems poorly planned and supervised.
In some places, including Kalaburagi, enumerators got the kit on Monday evening, many hours after the official launch of the survey that costs Rs 420 crore. In some places, teachers even staged protests.
Explaining the harsh realities on the ground, an enumerator in Chitradurga said she could cover just three households from 7 am to 8.30 pm, despite starting early to reach out to people before they stepped out for work. It is elaborate work as they need to get answers to 60 questions, including specific ones for each member of the family. Teachers have to download the application on their mobile phones to enter the details. If there are three to four members in a family, it sometimes takes around 90 minutes to complete the questionnaire on the mobile application. “In some houses, we have to ask nearly 200 questions to get the required information, which takes around 90 minutes. We are willing to give as much time as required to get the details. But even after all that, we face server issues, and sometimes the data is not entered into the system. We have to do it all over again,” she explains.
Another major challenge is that enumerators consume considerable time trying to locate the houses as they are not allocated in the same localities.
Cooperation from people is crucial, as they need to spend at least 30 minutes with the enumerators. While the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes aims to cover the entire population of around 7 crore people in the state, it has made it clear that participation by citizens is voluntary and there is no compulsion to disclose information.
An enumerator in Kalaburagi said they have surveyed around 10 houses as of the first week. Each of them is assigned around 100 to 120 houses. As per Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s directions issued on Friday, they must cover 10% of the work daily and each enumerator has to collect information from 10 to 12 houses per day. That seems difficult, even if all of the technical challenges are addressed.
It is difficult to understand why the government is so particular about completing such a massive exercise within 15 days, that too coinciding with the festival. It needs to adopt a humane approach towards the teachers who are running around lanes and bylanes of our cities, towns and villages to get the data, which would have far-reaching implications on state politics and policy-making. Granting more time would ensure the quality of work and also ease pressure on teachers.
As of now, the CM has ruled out extending the dates and wants the exercise to be completed within the stipulated time. The officers, especially the Deputy Commissioners, have been directed to monitor its progress daily. Tough talk by the CM may be part of the strategy to get the best out of enumerators. However, if that is not backed by an efficient support system, the quality of procured data may be compromised, and that cannot be corrected, even if the government later decides to extend the deadline.
On the political front, senior Congress leaders from the AHINDA communities, including ministers, have thrown their weight behind the CM and are encouraging people to participate in the survey. Their meeting, earlier this week, was noteworthy, given the tacit resistance even within the ruling party to the survey, especially from leaders of the dominant communities.
Ramu Patil
Assistant Resident Editor
ramu@newindianexpress.com