Horatti flags census staff crunch, seeks local posting for teachers

Dharwad: Karnataka legislative council chairman Basavaraj Horatti has directed Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) commissioner Rudresh Ghali to ensure that high school headmasters and assistant teachers are assigned Census duties within the areas where they work.Horatti raised concerns that a majority of rural high school teachers in the district have been deputed for Census work in Hubballi city, creating significant challenges—especially for women teachers—due to long travel and safety issues.Vanamala Hegde, a representative of teachers, brought the matter to Horatti's notice, stating that poor public response during previous socio-educational and caste surveys in urban areas had prompted authorities to depend heavily on teachers from rural regions.At the meeting, Narayan Bhajantri, district president of the Karnataka State High School Assistant Teachers' Association, submitted a memorandum urging authorities to exempt high school teachers from Census duties at this time. He said teachers are currently busy with key academic responsibilities, including SSLC examination work and assessments for classes 8 and 9.Retired teacher Chidambar Joshi said teachers form the backbone of the academic system and assigning them Census duties disrupts regular teaching and assessment. "Teachers are deeply involved in conducting examinations, evaluating answer scripts, and handling essential academic tasks. Diverting them for Census duties at this stage can affect students' performance and delay crucial academic processes," he said.He added that the problem is more acute during the SSLC examinations, a critical milestone for students. "Any additional responsibility such as Census duty risks compromising the efficiency and integrity of this process," he noted.Teacher Shwetha Nayak pointed out that deploying rural teachers in urban areas leads to logistical difficulties. "Long-distance travel increases time and costs, and reduces efficiency. For women teachers, travelling to unfamiliar locations also raises safety and accessibility concerns," she said.Given these challenges, she said it would be more practical for authorities to deploy dedicated Census staff or temporary enumerators. This, she added, would ensure smooth functioning of the education system while maintaining the effectiveness of Census operations.