Karnataka schools to remain closed from October 8-18 for 'caste survey'

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has declared a holiday for govt and govt-aided schools from Oct 8 to Oct 18, 2025, allowing teachers involved in the ongoing 'caste survey' to complete their work

Karnataka schools closed: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday ordered a state-wide shutdown of government and government-aided institutions from October 8 to 18, 2025. 

 

Teachers participating in the current Social and Educational Survey, being referred to as the "caste survey," will be able to finish the remaining assignments thanks to this extension.

The survey, which started on September 22, was originally set to conclude on Tuesday. 

 

However, the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues decided to extend it by an additional 10 days due to the ongoing delays in certain regions.

Why did the Karnataka government declare a 10-day Schools holiday?

The deadline for completing the survey was Tuesday. However, the Chief Minister and his cabinet agreed to extend it for an additional 10 days because of a backlog in work in many regions. The chief minister further declared that three employees who lost their lives while conducting the survey will receive ₹20 lakh in compensation.

 

“We were supposed to end (the survey work) on October 7. But in some districts, the survey is almost completed, while in some districts it was lagging,” the chief minister informed the media after a meeting with the ministers and officials.

 

He added, “For example, in the Koppal district, 97 per cent of the survey has been completed. The survey was 63 and 60 per cent in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, respectively. In the entire state, the survey has not been completed as we expected". 

About Karnataka's ‘caste survey’

Up to 1.75 lakh enumerators, primarily government school teachers, will participate in the survey, which will cover over 7 crore people in about 2 crore houses throughout the state, according to PTI. Officials say each household will be given a Unique Household ID (UHID) and geo-tagged with its electricity meter number.

 

Ration cards and Aadhaar information will be connected to mobile numbers during the data collection process. A special helpline (8050770004) has been established to handle any complaints from anyone who is not at home during the survey. The citizens can also take part online, according to government sources.

 

According to officials, the study, which is expected to cost ₹420 crore, is being carried out "scientifically," using a questionnaire consisting of 60 questions. By the end of December, the commission is supposed to deliver its report to the government.