CS instructs officials not to appoint teachers to revise voters’ list

Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh has instructed the District Election Officers and Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of all districts to appoint non-teaching staff, officers, and staff members working in various departments on priority basis for the task of revising the voters’ list, instead of teachers.

In a note to the officials, Ms. Rajneesh said that in the public interest, school teachers working under the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) were being made Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for revising the voters’ list. “Due to this, the Principal Secretary of the DSEL has expressed concern that the educational activities in schools are being hampered and the quality of education is decreasing,” she said.

“In the order issued by the Supreme Court on December 06, 2007, in civil appeal, it has been instructed to generally use the services of school teachers during holidays, non-teaching days and to assign non-teaching staff to election duties at any time,” she stated in the note.

However, it may be noted that the State Election Commission has decided to appoint about 40,000 teachers as BLOs for this task. The training has already started for BLOs in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits from July 15.

Mr. Madhu Bangarappa, Minister for School Education, had objected to this and had instructed the officials of DSEL not to depute teachers for any other tasks, except educational activities. He had also instructed the Principal Secretary of the department to write a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner of the State in this regard.

“The government has already issued several orders prohibiting teachers from being assigned to other tasks in order to ensure that they focus more on teaching and respond adequately to the academic development of students and bring about better results. Despite convincing the State Election Commission about this through a letter, it is not right to proceed with appointing teachers as BLOs for the revision of the voter list,” Mr. Madhu Bangarappa said.

No teachers for caste census either

There was also a speculation that the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission is planning to conduct a fresh Social and Educational Survey (Caste Census) during the upcoming Dasara holidays through government school teachers. However, Mr. Madhu Bangarappa clarified that teachers will not be deputed for any census, including upcoming caste census for any reason.

“The teachers in the State have already successfully completed the Scheduled Caste survey for internal reservation during the summer vacation. Now the State Election Commission is trying to depute teachers for the revision of the voters’ list. The Union government has also announced census, which includes enumeration of castes as well in 2027. Each and every census will take at least two to three moths to complete the work. If teachers are appointed for all these tasks, the future of the students will be destroyed. Therefore, it has been decided not to appoint teachers for any census,” he said.