Why Did The Karnataka Government Extend Dasara Holidays Till October 18?
The Karnataka government has extended Dasara holidays for government and aided schools till October 18. The move comes amid widespread dissatisfaction among teachers who were asked to conduct the State’s Social and Educational Survey while also managing classes immediately after the festival break.
The survey, being carried out by the Karnataka State Commission for Backwards Classes, was initially scheduled to conclude on Tuesday.
Schools were set to reopen on Wednesday after the Dasara vacation, but with the survey still incomplete in several districts, the government decided to extend the holidays by eight more days. Officials said the lost working days will later be compensated through special classes.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, addressing the media on Tuesday, said the decision was taken after discussions with the Department of School Education and Literacy, the commission, and representatives of teachers’ associations.
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He acknowledged that the survey progress was uneven across districts — while Koppal had completed 97% of the targeted households, Dakshina Kannada had only reached 67%.
“Based on a petition from the teachers’ association requesting 10 additional days to complete the survey, we have extended the holidays till October 18,” the Chief Minister said.
He added that action would be taken against teachers who fail to participate in the survey, stressing that the government expects full cooperation.
Earlier, an order from Commissioner of Public Instruction Suralkar Vikas Kishor had revised school timings, keeping schools open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and assigning teachers to conduct survey work in the afternoon. However, this arrangement was met with resistance, as teachers felt overburdened.
Responding to their concerns, the Karnataka State Primary School Teachers’ Association formally petitioned the government, asking for an extension of the Dasara break to allow teachers to finish survey duties without academic disruption. The government has now agreed to their demand.
Mr. Siddaramaiah also announced that pre-university college lecturers would be exempted from survey duties, since mid-term examinations for PU students are set to begin on October 12.
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According to official figures, 1.6 lakh enumerators, including 1.2 lakh teachers, are involved in the massive state-level survey. In Bengaluru, about 6,700 teachers have been tasked with visiting 10–15 households each, and they have assured the government that the work will be completed before Naraka Chaturdashi (October 20).
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar noted that the response from rural areas has been encouraging, with nearly 90% of households cooperating, while the Greater Bengaluru Authority region has covered only 25% of its target so far due to a later start.
In a compassionate move, the government also announced ₹20 lakh compensation for the families of three teachers who lost their lives while undertaking the survey work.
The extended holidays come as a relief for thousands of teachers across Karnataka, many of whom had raised concerns about being forced to balance both classroom teaching and field duties.
