Karnataka's Revenue Department has refused a blanket exemption for women teachers above 50 from Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and National Census-2027 duties. The Department of School Education and Literacy proposed this following teachers' associations' representations. Principal Secretary Munish Moudgil said district authorities can decide based on resources.
Karnataka's Revenue Department has declined a blanket exemption for women teachers aged above 50 from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and National Census-2027 duties. The Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) had submitted a proposal following representations from teachers’ associations. In his letter, Principal Secretary Munish Moudgil stated that Deputy Commissioners and Municipal Commissioners could decide on exemptions based on available resources, as long as it does not hamper SIR and census conduct. He directed them to inform the government of their decisions. A copy of the letter is with The Hindu. Census preparations have started across districts, and the Election Commission of India will soon begin SIR. This indicates a human resources crunch, with Booth Level Officers (BLOs) possibly exempted from census work. Women teachers above 50 are disgruntled by this stance. A senior woman teacher from a Bengaluru government school told The Hindu that teachers had died during SIR in other states. “They have decided to carry out both the census and SIR during the scorching summer. It will definitely take a toll. Many teachers above 50 years are already suffering from serious health issues. By the time the SIR and census are completed, schools will reopen, which means there will be no rest,” she said, adding they would meet School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa again for exemption. Chandrashekara Nuggali, president of the Government Primary School Teachers’ Association, pointed out that teachers are always assigned non-teaching tasks such as elections and census. He suggested deploying ‘C’ group employees from other departments and said the association would meet Mr. Moudgil to urge reconsideration.
