In Karnataka’s government schools and colleges, a growing crisis is unfolding as teachers are increasingly pulled away from their primary role—educating students—to carry out a string of non-academic duties. The latest assignment, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, has left educators stretched thin, frustrated, and fearful for their students’ progress.

Key facts

  • Over 65,000 teachers and lecturers deputed for SIR work across Karnataka
  • SIR duties include objection/verification phases until October 22, 2026
  • Previous tasks included caste surveys and Census-2027 house listing
  • Local body elections and further Census work planned through early 2027

A Year of Diverted Duties

For the past year, teachers have been routinely assigned to long-drawn non-teaching tasks. It started with the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission’s survey of Scheduled Castes and Sub-Castes in May/June 2025, followed by a Karnataka Backward Classes Commission caste survey in September/October that same year. By April 2026, many were also involved in door-to-door house listing for Census-2027.

Then, on June 30, 2026, the Election Commission of India launched the SIR process, deploying tens of thousands of teachers as Booth Level Officers. One high school teacher in Bengaluru described a grueling cycle: “Currently, we are assigned to work for the ‘objection and verification’ phase of SIR. Earlier, we were part of pre-enumeration mapping and the enumeration phase too.”

Caught in the Crossfire

Teachers say they’ve been warned of legal action if they refuse to participate until SIR concludes. Yet, they’re also under pressure to conduct lessons and exams on schedule. “How to do both at once?” asked one educator. Some are desperately trying to juggle—attending school in the morning and working on SIR in the afternoon. A teacher in Bengaluru South lamented, “The lessons are not yet completed and students are not even able to do Summative Assessment-1.”

“Despite repeated requests not to assign teachers to non-academic work, it continues to happen,” — Chandrashekar Nuggali, Karnataka State Primary School Teachers Association president

Pleas from the Education Frontline

The strain is visible. In Bengaluru Central Educational District, the Deputy Director of Pre-University education wrote a letter on August 24, 2026, urging the release of at least 50% of lecturers from SIR duty. Out of 228 lecturers, 127 were assigned to electoral work, disrupting classes for 7,858 students.

A PU college principal highlighted the irony: a target has been set for PU results this year, but meeting it seems impossible with lecturers consistently absent. Requests for guest faculty have gone unanswered.

And there’s no end in sight. After SIR wraps in October, teachers face local body elections in December and January 2027, followed by Census work starting in February. For now, educators remain caught between duty and despair, their classrooms growing quieter by the day.