Karnataka: Social and educational survey of Backward Classes to begin on August 23
Phase one focuses on household mapping
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission is set to begin its social and educational survey of backward classes across the state on Saturday, August 23, 2025.
Panel chairman Madhusudhan R. Naik urged citizens to cooperate fully to ensure that no household is overlooked and that the survey can be completed successfully within the stipulated 90-day timeline.
Naik explained that the first phase of the survey would focus on creating a comprehensive list of households and mapping them. This crucial preliminary step will enable the enumeration, serial numbering, and accurate mapping of every household.
Since every household in Karnataka is connected to electricity, no house will be left out. Electricity revenue registration numbers will be used to identify households, and residents will be surveyed accordingly.
This initial phase will lay the groundwork for a systematic and scientific second phase of the survey, which will take place during the Dasara holidays from September 22 to October 7. Naik noted that the school vacation period would help in ensuring smooth execution of the survey.
To assist with the survey, a special app has been developed by the e-governance and Energy Departments, in collaboration with the commission's advisory team and the Directorate of Electronic Delivery of Citizen Services (EDCS). Karnataka will deploy ESCOM meter readers for this task. These meter readers, in addition to their regular billing duties, will geo-tag each household and include it in the survey. The data collected will be uploaded to the EDCS servers.
Once validated, each household, including those in apartments and cluster dwellings, will be assigned a unique identification number. Stickers will be placed on each house to assist surveyors in identifying them during the second phase of the survey.
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4 children test HIV positive in MP govt hospital; contaminated blood transfusion suspected
Satna/Bhopal (PTI): Four children suffering from thalassemia have tested HIV positive at Satna District Hospital in Madhya Pradesh allegedly due to contaminated blood transfusions, officials said on Tuesday.
The case is four months old and an investigation is underway into it, an official said.
Officials suspect the use of contaminated needles or blood transfusions for the spread of infection to the children.
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MP Health Minister Rajendra Shukla told reporters in Bhopal that he has ordered a probe into the matter and sought a report.
“It is also being investigated whether the blood transfusion took place in other hospitals also or only in the government hospital,” he said.
The affected children, aged between 12 and 15 years, received blood transfusions from the hospital's blood bank, as per an official.
Devendra Patel, in-charge of the blood bank at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel District Hospital in Satna, said four children have tested HIV positive and an investigation is underway to determine how they got infected.
"Either an infected needle was used or a blood transfusion occurred. These are the two main reasons I believe. Blood transfusion seems to be the most likely cause," he told PTI Videos.
All these children suffer from thalassemia, and some have received 80 or 100 blood transfusions, he said.
A family member of one of the affected children said that their child was found to be HIV positive during a routine checkup about four months back, and he has been receiving medication, but it had proven to be of no use.
After taking the medication for HIV, the child starts vomiting, feels low and becomes ill, he said.
After the four children were detected with HIV infection, their family members were also tested and the results came out negative, he added.
The Opposition Congress targeted the government over the matter and demanded the resignation of Health Minister Shukla.
Speaking to reporters in Bhopal, Congress MLA and former minister Sachin Yadav claimed such incidents were continuously occurring in Madhya Pradesh.
Earlier, a case of toxic cough syrup came to light in Chhindwara, followed by incidents of rat bites at hospitals in Indore and Satna, and now children have been given HIV-infected blood, he said.
"The health minister is unable to manage the department. He should resign. A murder case should be filed against those responsible for the Satna incident," Yadav said.
Senior Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma termed it a failure of the government. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's government has no connection with ground realities, he charged.
"Somewhere rats are roaming in hospitals, somewhere children are being given HIV-infected blood. Instead of preventing HIV, you are spreading it. Mohan Yadav should wake up from his slumber. Children are the nation's heritage and should be taken care of," he added.
