Teachers protest against social and educational survey duties in Karnataka

Some teachers protested against being drafted into the social and educational survey duties in Belagavi, Karnataka, on September 23.

They refused to go door-to-door for the survey, saying Education Department officials had given them mandatory duty slips, despite their illness, old age or disabilities. They sat in front of the tahsildar’s office and demanded that they be exempted.

“Most of us are ill or nearing retirement. Some are pregnant and some of us are physically challenged. Some of us are unable to walk or move about. Even such people have been made to report for survey duty,” they said. They demanded that officials intervene immediately.

Some representatives later met the tahsildar and submitted a memorandum. Tahsildar Basavaraj Nagaral said that rules of the government of Karnataka could not be changed. He, however, said he would discuss with senior officials and find out if those with severe physical illness and disabilities could be exempted.